


Halo 'n Horns

by monsieurdandylion



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Voltron: Lion Voltron
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angel Lance (Voltron), Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Devil Keith (Voltron), Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Klance 2018, Korean Keith (Voltron), Kuron, Kuron (Voltron)-centric, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Mexican Lance (Voltron), Non-Graphic Smut, Relationship(s), Romantic Soulmates, Shatt, Soulmates, Supernatural Elements, Voltron, adashi, devil keith, klance, klance angst, klangst, soulmate, vld, voltron legendary defender - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-07-13 04:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 74,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16010048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monsieurdandylion/pseuds/monsieurdandylion
Summary: Keith, a feisty, haughty devil, is on a mission on earth when he meets Lance, the cockiest, flirtiest angel he's ever met. It turns out that the two are stuck with each other while Keith is on Earth, and Lance is the only one who can help Keith. Meeting new friends, experiencing new places and things... as much as Keith and Lance don't want to admit it, they're growing on each other. But can 'opposites attract' really work in this case?





	1. Prologue

He was going to grow up in darkness.

The two boys stared over the edge of the crib, gazing down at the sleeping child nestled between the rich, soft pelts of unknown animals. His skin was milky pale, almost translucent, and he had dark hair already curling over his forehead.

The infant's father sat, exhausted, in a soft white rocking chair, eyes closed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing rough. It had been a long night and he finally understood how hard it was to bring a child into this world. His hands, sore from catching rays of moonlight and strands of night sky, shook silently as he folded them together in his lap.

The baby in the crib sniffed softly and the two boys watched in silent fascination as his face turned from peaceful slumber to sadness, startling them by suddenly crying out, hands reaching blindly for something he couldn't see, but could feel. The pull of someone big, warm, strong.

The man flicked his fingers at the crib and the baby lifted up, then slowly glided through the air into his father's arms, wailing until he was being rocked gently, safe against the chest of that strong being.

The two boys, who appeared no older than 6, watched quietly as their father rocked their little brother in the big, soft chair. The man's eyes flicked from the infant to his toddler sons, beckoning them forward. They hopped up to sit on each wide armrest, peering at their new brother.

"What's his name?" The brother with the white hair asked, eyebrows furrowed slightly. He slipped forward to rest his head against the man's ribs.

"I haven't decided yet," their father said in a deep voice, low and gravely, his own eyelids drooping as the baby quieted down, his delicate tail curling around his father's wrist.

"Something cool," the black haired brother suggested sleepily, snuggling into his father's side too.

"He's a son of darkness, of course it'll be cool," the man replied to his son, whispering. The baby had fallen asleep again, tiny head on the man's shoulder, his breath coming short and soft.

The man, the father, was just about asleep when the name struck him. The perfect name for his new son. The name for a boy made from moonlight and the deepest dark of the sky found in the forest. The name for the boy who was foreseen to bring the Upper- and Underworld together in unity.  _My midnight boy._


	2. Dear Ol' Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Underworld Family

_Keith_

Let's get one thing straight. It's not like wanted to go up to Earth. I like it down here, where the stalagmites and stalactites are adorned with crystals and it's nice and warm and I'm never bothered by anyone except my brothers and the Blade. And, I mean, Him too, but I could never say that He bothered me because He'd get offended.

The Greeks called him Hades, the Romans called him Pluto, and Satan is another one, but I just call him Dad. Or Father when he's angry. Which is a lot of the time, unsurprisingly. He controls everything down here- who comes, where they stay, if they deserve a good afterlife or a bad one. Well, Shiro and Kuron are really the ones to do that last one, but Dad does it too, when he has time.

The Afterlife really isn't that bad, from what I've seen. It's dark. And damp. But it doesn't feel like death, it doesn't smell or burn or any of the other myths that have been made up about it. Frankly, it's insulting when people associate bad things with the Afterlife. I mean, they're going there anyways, why make fun of it?

It smells earthy, like damp dirt, which is understandable because it's technically underground. Technically, though. There's a barrier of some type that prevents the living from ever discovering us and it's pretty much undisputed because no living person has ever come down here.

When you die, you just sort of appear here and then you're sorted into 'good' or 'bad' by Shiro and Kuron respectively. My brothers always tell me it's more difficult than I think and Shiro says, "Good people can do bad things and bad people can do good things." And then Kuron rolls his eyes.

I've never been in the actual Afterlife, where the dead stay beyond the Gates- Dad forbids it, but he's told my brothers and me that for the Good, it's endless entertainment, and for the Bad, it's endless boredom. Seems legit.

I was fiddling around with my pocketknife, a small one from Kolivan, when I heard Dad's voice in my head. "Wake up. Come to the Throne Room." I guess he expected me to be sleeping. I  _could_  sleep but I didn't need to- only when I was little or when I'd done something exerting. Other than that, I slept to pass time.

Regardless, I slipped out of my room and made my way through the maze of tunnels that led to the Throne Room, the path (and all others) memorized by heart. It took me only a few minutes to get down to the cavernous area Dad claimed as the Throne Room, and he was waiting for me there when I arrived.

Dad was lounging in his "throne"- today it was a paisley loveseat with gold-plated feet. His legs were crossed, arms folded. Dad could appear in any form he wanted to flawlessly, but I could only change my appearance so I was always jealous when he turned into an eagle or a bear or anything like that.

Normally, I kept to my natural form, which was surprisingly comical. A generic humanoid teenager with a leathery tail that ended in a spade and seemed to have a mind of its own, plus two small horns that protruded from the pale skin of my forehead.

Dad's massive black wings were folded neatly behind him- how he managed to put on a suit with them baffled me. "Father," I greeted in a low voice, bowing slightly. He flicked his hand, dismissing the formality, and beckoned me closer.

"Keith, you've never been to Earth, correct?" He asked. His accent was unidentifiable. His black eyes were trained on me, hair slicked back.

I nodded. What was this about? Dad chuckled and a glass of wine appeared in his hand out of nowhere. He regarded me over the lip of his crystal cup, then stood, beginning to pace. I waited nervously, trying to settle my tail as it flicked behind me.

"It's about time, don't you think?" Dad mused, and I almost thought I saw him smile. What he was suggesting wasn't something I'd really ever thought about before. I guess it would be fun, in a weird sort of way. Exploring. Meeting humans. Being among the world of the living in general. All I've ever known are these earthy walls and the feel of hard, cool crystals beneath my fingers and the touch of my blades in their sheaths up the sleeves of my shirt.

"Kuron! Shiro!" Dad yelled, and the twins arrived in the doorway in seconds, Shiro looking responsible and calm, Kuron looking like he'd just stolen a sizable diamond right from under someone's nose. They walked to stand on either side of me, Kuron slinging a lazy arm around my shoulders as they addressed our father.

"Boys," Dad spoke to the twins, "you remember when you went up to Earth, right?"

My brothers, the caretakers of the Gates, were several hundred years older than me, all tall and muscly and imposing. Shiro, the twin in charge of the Good, had white hair and human eyes and he'd always been kinder to me. If devils could love, I guess I'd love Shiro (as a brother).

Kuron was mischievous, to say the least. He was in charge of the Bad souls, the hearts gone rogue. His messy jet black hair was always obscuring his glowing yellow eyes, but he refused to cut it more than once a year. He had a lingering smirk on his lips, always poking fun at me, always being given disapproving looks from Shiro.

They were brothers, though, and after a few thousand years, I'd learned how to be close to them.

The twins nodded in sync, then looked down at me, an unfortunate head shorter than them. "Is Keith going up?" Shiro asked, turning back to our father.

Dad pressed his lips together, eyebrows furrowed. "I think it's about time," he repeated. "I mean, even  _I_ know all the teenage lingo, Keith." Beside him, a mahogany table suddenly caught on fire. Dad gave it awkward finger-guns and chuckled, "See? It's 'lit'," laughing at his own joke. I rolled my eyes.

"If you want me to go up to the surface," I told Dad, taking his attention away from the burning table, "then I'll go."

Dad clapped his hands together, "Wonderful." I hadn't seen him this enthusiastic about something in decades. Maybe I should've been offended- this meant a good amount of time away from me. "Grab what you need, meet me back here, and I'll port you to the surface."

...

As I was packing a small bag for supplies I thought I'd need (it was small, I didn't know how long I'd be wondering so I didn't want to have to carry something heavy) someone knocked at my door. Assuming it was someone from the Blade, I didn't turn, simply calling, "Come in!"

"Hey." That wasn't a Blade. I turned to look at Shiro. It was rare that the twins were seen apart from each other. "May I sit?" He asked, staring pointedly at my bed. I nodded, resuming packing.

My room wasn't much. It was small, rocky, like a cave almost, and pretty primitive besides the mini-fridge and the functional door. I had a few trunks, one full of clothes, another full of weapons, some trinkets and things like that. It was pretty basic- I didn't want much (except a dog, but Dad said that it would be impractical).

"So," Shiro started. He had this serious face on, looking older than he was.

I interrupted him before he could start, "Kuron said that I was distant." I don't know why it had been bothering me, nor did I know why I mentioned it. Maybe because I knew that whatever Shiro was going to say, I wanted to delay it for as long as possible.

Shiro paused, frowning a little. I knew that he and Kuron didn't see eye-to-eye on some things, but I was starting to think by the way he sighed, long and deep, that he agreed with our brother on this one.

"I don't think... you're distant, per say," Shiro spoke carefully, "I think you're cautious about opening up to people. I think... you're hesitant to trust, so you aren't able to talk about things openly," I frowned, but Shiro quickly amended, "that's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong. I know that you're able to express yourself and channel your emotions into things like training and fighting. And I think that's fine."

"You think I'm emotionally constipated," I translated, and Shiro couldn't help but crack a grin.

"I think it's okay to let out your emotions through a hobby but..." Shiro looked pained as he tried to keep composed, "I don't think it would hurt to try and make some friend up there. Some people who you can trust."

I stopped packing, then looked at Shiro evenly. I almost wanted to tell him off for saying something like that. I was... introverted, that's all. But he looked nervous and it was unnerving so I simply nodded, acting as if I'd take it into consideration. I knew already that I wasn't the type to really make friends, though.

...

Dad held me at arm's length by my shoulders, looking over me and sighing deeply. I could never really tell what he was thinking, but I thought I saw a hint of pride in his eyes. I hoped so. Shiro and Kuron weren't in the room with us, but I'd already said goodbye in the tunnels, as well as stopping by the Blade chambers to say goodbye to my teachers.

"You're going to be fine, son. Trust yourself. You know the rules. Be bad." I felt myself being pulled upwards, and my father stepped back, dark face light for once. I closed my eyes.


	3. Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith arrives in the midworld, only to meet...?

_Keith_

I woke with a start, blinking dazedly. The first thing that I noticed was that it was dark out, but bright lights and sounds of the world came from the street outside the alley I was currently laying in. I internally glared at my father when I noticed that I was situated right next to a giant dumpster, which nearly made me gag.

The second thing that I noticed was that it was raining. I'd never been in the rain before (because it doesn't rain underground, duh) and it took me a second to understand what exactly was going on. I stared up at the dark sky, letting the rain fall over my face, cold and wet.

The third thing that I noticed was that I was completely out of place. Glancing at the humans hurrying past the alleyway, a tail and horns were not the norm. Focusing, I retracted them back into myself uncomfortably.

Then focusing on my physical state. I never let my body get out of shape in the Underworld- it was harder training then- but here I let myself regain some weight, running my hands down my torso to smooth over the bones that visibly stuck out from my skin, layering fat and soft muscle over them, just so I looked healthily fit. It would help me out in the long run.

I never really messed with my face. I had sharp eyes, a strong chin, and black hair that fell to my neck, but I never spent too much time looking at myself. Down in the underworld, I never cared about how people viewed me. I was already doing better than them, I mean, they were  _completely_ _dead_. I was only  _partially dead_ , so I decided I was probably fine.

As for clothes, I probably needed something for the rain. As of now, I wore my regular T-shirt and jeans. My converse and the seat of my pants were already damp from the tiny puddle I was sitting in.

I focused again, this time on the image of a raincoat, expecting it to materialize in my hands like it would in the underworld, but nothing happened. I frowned. Dad had taken away my conjuring power. Predictable, but still unsatisfactory. Sighing, I smoothed back my hair and stood up, looking around. I needed shelter, somewhere to go.

Walking out into the street, my senses were nearly overloaded. Around me, people bustled past, carrying bags and umbrellas and talking into their phones. Everyone seemed so busy, in a hurry. On the street past the sidewalk I stood on, taxis and cars honked their way down the road, windshield wipers powering furiously.

On each side of the road, shops stood bright, signs lit up with fluorescence, looking pleasing and warm out of the cold rain. The signs read things like Starbucks and Apple, and while I had no idea what they held, I decided that I should probably go into one before I was completely soaked and figure out what the fuck I was going to do.

Father hadn't given me much to go off of. He had just said to discover something, to find something meaningful that I could learn from. I guess this was my one chance at freedom before spending the rest of eternity in the Underworld. What was I supposed to 'find' though? Shiro had said friends, but I doubted that would happen. Without my abilities or any money, I was pretty immobile.

Wherever I was, I hoped they wouldn't mind a loner wandering the streets for however long I was supposed to stay. That was another thing- Dad hadn't told me how to get home once I was ready to come back, but I assumed I'd just have to solve that problem when I got to it.

The rain was really starting to get cold. I wondered what season it was- another thing we didn't have in the Underworld. Furthermore, I wondered what  _year_  it was. At home, Shiro and Kuron were the ones to deal with the souls, interacting with them and sorting them and catching up with the world, but I never listened in to their conversations, always off doing something else. That was probably a fault of mine.

Maybe I could ask someone inside that Starbucks... I eyed it from the other side of the road, the big green and white sign. Dad may have taken away my abilities, but he hadn't taken away my sense of smell, and whatever was over there smelled delicious. I had tasted every food you could imagine, but I'm not sure if I've had every  _drink_.

But, of course, there was the problem of money. That problem being that I didn't actually have any. I wasn't so stupid as to disregard funds- I knew that this world took cold cash with no exceptions, but that didn't help my situation at all. I wasn't about to beg, and probably wouldn't steal unless I had to, but at least Starbucks, whatever it was, would be warm and out of the rain.

I stepped off the sidewalk to cross the road to it, but with the blare of a sharp horn and the yank of fabric around my neck, I was pulled back, a taxi speeding past were I had just stood. Coughing, I stumbled back.

"Do you have a death wish? There's a crosswalk for a reason," a disgruntled voice said behind me, and I whirled, surprised.

The boy looked to be in his late teens, maybe early twenties, and he was looking at me like I was an idiot. He had soft brown hair that fell over his forehead and dark blue eyes that popped against his smooth brown skin. He had a sort of ski-jump nose, but it suited his face. He was wearing an olive green jacket, hand still raised from grabbing my shirt collar.

I rubbed my neck, scowling. "Oh, don't give me that look," he said sourly, "I just saved you from being hit by a taxi." He tousled his hair with one hand and held out his other to me, expecting a handshake.

"Fuck off, mortal," I spat, annoyed, "I know how to cross a street."

"Do you?" The boy asked inquisitively. "And I'm not a mortal. I was sent here to find out who you were and why you were here. It's been a few centuries since we last had a devil up here. How're the twins?"

I stepped backward, confused. Lance rolled his eyes, hand still extended, and in an instant, blindingly white limbs spread from his back, growing into unmistakable wings. The pure white feathers ruffled in the buffeting wind, and I could just make out a thin gold circle above his head. I'd never seen an angel before.

"The name's Lance." He looked at me expectantly, and I reached forward to shake his hand, still a bit baffled by his identity. But then I realized what was happening.

You know those songs that you hear for the first time and you immediately don't like? That's what it was like shaking hands with Lance, the fucking angel from the Upperworld.

He had this aura around him, a faint white glow that felt so good that I wanted to melt (but, of course, I couldn't admit that). Because I was a fucking devil and devils were pretty much incapable of feeling any positive emotion. I guessed that the good feeling was probably greed or one of those stupid "deadly sins". I was a devil, did they still apply to me?

I noticed I hadn't introduced myself and I rushed to respond, "Keith. Can they see you?" I asked, gesturing to the mortals hurrying around us.

Lance shook his head, "They only see what you let them see," he wrinkled his nose, "including that awful mullet."

I self-consciously smooth down my hair, blinking rain out of my eyes. "I think it looks fine," I said defensively, frowning. Two minutes in and this guy was already criticizing me.

"You've got a lot to learn, Grandpa," Lance responded dismissively, looking over my shoulder at the Starbucks. "You want coffee? We need to talk. Hopefully out of the rain."

I grimaced. I most definitely didn't want to be stuck with this guy. Angels and devils... they just didn't get along. The Upper- and Underworlds were separate for a reason. But, to be fair, he could probably find me somewhere to stay while I figured out what I was going to do up here.

"Fine," I said, "But put those away," I looked pointedly at his wings. They were gone in seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :) I'd just like to say hello and introduce myself. I'm cal. You can refer to me with any pronouns, I don't mind. Hello again if you've read Beat Drop or Swim With Me?, and it's nice to meet you if you're new to my works :) I update as often as i can, but my baseline is usually once a week or two, and I'm planning for this book to be about 30 chapters long. Let me know if you want me to do QOTDs or a quick a/n every chapter- I'm open to anything. I hope you enjoy my work :)


	4. Halohead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance brings keith to a safe place to spend the night, then makes a journey to the upperworld

_Lance_

"He didn't tell you  _anything_?" I asked incredulously. Jeez, this poor dude. His dad just dumped him up here with no money, no resources, no goal or idea what he was doing? That must be frustrating.

Keith frowned, "I'm sure he had his reasons," he said defensively, and I tipped my head to the side, not saying anything. "By the way, before, on the street- what did you mean by 'you choose what they see'?" He'd lowered his voice.

I leaned back in my chair, sipping my macchiato serenely. "Exactly that. If you don't want them to view an aspect of yourself, or your whole self entirely, you can cast it out of their sight," I dismissed. I'd retracted my wings for now- they're heavy- but I could push them back out any time I needed them.

Keith swirled his plain black coffee with a wooden stirrer, thinking over this. I glanced outside. It was late- the Starbucks we sat in would be closing in 15 minutes and the rain was showing no signs of letting up. What to do, what to do...

Draining my coffee, I stood, pulling on my jacket. Keith looked up at me, unamused as always. I had a strong feeling that he strongly disliked me, but that wasn't my problem. My problem was that he was a devil roaming around the Midworld and he couldn't be left unsupervised.

"Come with me, I know a place you can stay tonight."

Keith glared dully at me. "I don't need your help," he said defiantly, reminding me of an insolent toddler.

"Yes, you do," I countered, "Because this place is closing, you're in the middle of a city you don't even know the name of, and you've never been to the Midworld before. So yes, little devil. You need my help."

He huffed angrily, "Don't call me little."

"I'm taller than you. Now up, let's go."

The reluctance in Keith's steps was mocking as he slugged towards the door, looking out at the rain with an unamused expression. I turned back to the barista, waved goodbye, and then pushed Keith outside. He mumbled something angrily at me, but I ignored him, shifting our appearances to invisibility as we stood on the open street.

My wings sprang from my shoulders and I shook them out, frowning as I felt my halo circle my head. Ugh, it was so cliché. Keith wasn't looking at me when I scooped him up in my arms, taking a running start to launch us into the sky. He immediately started squirming.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He shouted, shoving at my face.

I glowered at him and snapped, "We may be invisible but I cannot make us mute, so please shut your quiznak before I drop you."

I could see him about to tell me that I was saying the swear wrong, but he looked down and froze when he saw how high we already were. He immediately looped his arms around my neck. That shut him up.

Flying wasn't easy in the first place. It took strain on my wings, especially in the windy rain, not to mention the devil I held in my arms, one forearm under the back of his knees, the other supporting his back. I pushed my wings down hard as we flew up through the street of the city, weaving through buildings until we were high enough to soar above them. The rain had us both soaked again in a matter of minutes.

Once we were high enough up, I looked down at Keith, making sure he hadn't passed out or anything. His eyes were pinched shut and I was surprised to see two small horns on his forehead, matte black. I felt something slide around my arm and I nearly shrieked, but then realized it was a  _tail_. Keith's tail, to be specific. The same color as his horns and ending in a delicate spade which lay flush against my bicep.

I chuckled softly. "Afraid of heights, o great devil?" I teased.

Keith opened one eye to look at me, "Something the matter, Halohead?" He retorted angrily. His muscles were taught.

I laughed again, but held the devil closer to my chest, feeling just a little bit bad for him. I flew higher, squinting through the rain, and eventually, we made our way out of the city and drifted into the suburbs. I knew this city (I knew every city) by heart, and I knew just where an abandoned barn was that was still in great condition. It would serve as Keith's shelter for tonight. It was the best I could do.

On a hill just off the highway, I angled my wings down to land. Because of the added weight, we landed hard, my legs feeling like jelly as I stumbled to catch our fall. Heaving for breath, I slowed to a walk.

Keith immediately jumped away from me, tail thrashing in the wet grass. His eyes were angry, but he didn't say anything as we trudged up to the barn. Hauling the double-doors open, we stepped inside. It was warm and dark and the sound of the rain falling on the roof was comforting. Keith looked around. "Quite a hovel you've got picked out," Keith grunted. I rolled my eyes.

It was two stories, the first with empty stalls on three of its sides, likely used for horses in the past, and the second was a wide hay loft accessible by a ladder that leaned against its platforms.

"Be grateful," I replied simply, leading him up the ramp to the hayloft. It smelled sweet and dusty and I pulled a few wool blankets from a shelf on the wall, handing them to Keith gingerly. "I have to go to the Upperworld to let Missus know about you and the situation. I'll probably be back tomorrow morning, but... they might send another angel instead."

Keith scoffed, "One of you is enough," he grumbled, settling into the hay.

I bit my lip. "Goodnight, Keith."

...

My wings dragged through the clouds heavily as I walked towards the palace. There were no guards, no sentries. We didn't need them- only angels could get up here. Unlike Mister, who only had three sons, the devils (including Keith) and then about 2 dozen of his personal advisors and guards, the Blade of Marmora, Missus had hundreds of kids.

It was complicated why she needed so many angels to look over things, but it had to do with the fact that the dead didn't need to be monitored as much as the living did. I pushed open the front gate, stepping from clouds onto very realistic grass. A few angels wondered around the yard, playing with each other or watering the flowers or reading books.

Today, the palace was a large farmhouse with a wrap-around porch. I spotted my mother sitting on a rocking chair on the porch, a purring cat lounging in her lap. It seemed like she and Mister both had the habit of changing their surroundings constantly (I'd heard rumors that Mister changed his throne every day like Mother changed her house).

She was examining a floating bubble in front of her that displayed a scene of people. I hoped it was something pleasant and not one of those terrible crimes that she sometimes watched, trying to decide whether or not to interfere. I cleared my throat quietly, and Mother looked up.

Her appearance was kind, to say the least. She could appear as anything but preferred a simple human woman. She said it made her feel more connected to society. Her face was impossibly beautiful, so much so that it was hard to look at her sometimes, so I focused on her hair for a moment. It was long and dark brown, set in large, wave-like curls that always stayed perfectly fresh and bouncy.

"Hello, Lance," she said happily. I leaned forward and kissed her smooth cheek, smiling. You couldn't help but smile around her.

"Hi, Mom. I just got back."

"How's Keith?" She asked, stroking the white cat on her lap gently.

"He's..." I hesitated, "He's resentful."

"Oh," Mother looked genuinely troubled, "I'm sorry to hear that, although it is understandable. Where is he now?"

"A barn in New Hampshire," I answered, then added, "hopefully sleeping."

Mother nodded. Her eyes were dark blue. "What are his plans?"

"He doesn't have any. Mister just sent him up here to explore, I think. Keith didn't talk much about him."

"Just like the Twins..." Mother mused. She straightened, "Well, they had angel guides too. Matt and Adam, I believe."

My thoughts turned to my brothers and I couldn't help but smile, "I remember that." Matt and Adam were two brothers that I was close with, although they were much older than I was. I remembered watching them with the Twins down in the Midworld, laughing and talking and getting along perfectly.

They'd been the first to break the anger between the Upper- and Underworld. I wondered if Keith and I could ever have a friendship like that. With the way he was acting, not likely.

Mother gently placed the cat down on the ground and stood as it scampered off. She walked forward and pushed my hair out of my face. I felt my energy return to my wings as she momentarily fussed with my hair, then sighed, smiling.

"I can already tell he's a trouble-maker," she said fondly. I smiled at her half-heartedly.

Flicking her hair off her shoulder, Mother turned away, lacing her fingers together. "He needs a mentor, a guide, Lance," she commented vaguely. I didn't want to assume anything. "Are you up for the job, my dear?" There it was.

I nodded seriously.

"Good," she whispered, eyes sparkling, "Now go. I'm sure he won't sleep for long."

Saluting, I recited, " _Amore Vobiscum_."

" _Amore Vobiscum_ ," Mother replied, then walked down the lawn to attend other matters.


	5. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance figure out their plan for the midworld... keith isn't afraid to be bold

_Keith_

I woke up with a pounding headache and no recollection of why the hell I was sleeping on a pile of hay. Pushing off the scratchy horse blanket, I yawned, stretching out my arms, and blinked hard. Was I at home? Sure was dark enough to be.

Standing, I felt wooden floorboards creak beneath my bare feet. Not home, then. Home was just rocks. I squinted through the darkness for some light and realized that I was on a large platform. Looking down, I saw the scene below me and immediately remembered the events of the previous night. Groaning, I glared at Lance.

He was splayed out on a pile of hay, surrounded by blankets, white wings outspread across the floor as he snored quietly. The feathers twitched every so often. I scoffed. He looked stupid.

Climbing down the ladder, I surveyed the large room, looking for any food Lance might have brought. He'd said that he was going up to the Upperworld to talk with Missus, and that she'd be the one to decide what would happen with me, but if Lance was back here, she must have decided on elongated torture.

Ruffling my hair to get the hay out of it, I looked through the barn for the source of light and found it at a crease in the door where it wasn't quite closed. Heaving, I pulled the sliding sheet to the side.

Sunlight streamed into the barn and I immediately recoiled at the brightness, bolting to the far wall of the barn to get out of the sudden exposure. Lance stirred, the bright light falling over his face, and sat up. He yawned, smiled at the sunlight, and then stood, slumping outside. "Come on, devil!"

Shaken, I followed him out, tail thrashing behind me. The sunlight was blinding as my eyes adjusted and I blinked rapidly at our surroundings. "Oh, that's right," Lance said playfully in front of me, "You've never seen the sun before."

It was true. I mean, how was I supposed to see it if I literally lived under a rock? I wasn't. Squinting, I glanced from the bright green grass beneath my feet to the sky above us. Clouds- white and puffy, floated lazily across the dome of blue and the sun was so brilliant that I didn't dare look at it straight on.

Lance was scrolling through something on a phone, murmuring to himself, wings outstretched to catch the breeze. I just hoped that he'd made us invisible- or whatever it was that he did- so that none of the residents of the houses that lined the small street to our right would see two boys with some interesting characteristics.

"How'd you sleep?" Lance called absently, still looking at his phone. I stalked over to him and jabbed his chest with my finger, frowning.

"Why was I so tired? I almost never had to sleep in the Underworld," I accused. Had he drugged me? Lance regarded me, amused.

"You're in the Midworld now, bud. You're gonna be affected by it just like everyone else. You're gonna need to sleep and eat and stay healthy just like everyone else," he explained serenely, blue eyes twinkling happily. I was so sick of his happy bullshit. Could I have  _any_  other angel? Please?

Turning away, I surveyed the quiet neighborhood. "I'm hungry," I informed him dubiously.

Lance waved his phone at me, "What do you think I'm doing? Sit down and be patient, little demon."

"Don't tell me what to do, Halohead," I retorted, then marched back to the barn. The sunlight was making me queasy.

...

I wouldn't say I was afraid of heights. In fact, I think my fear was completely logical- I was afraid of being dropped from hundreds of feet in the air by a loopy, air-headed angel. I had to give it to him- for looking so incredibly slender and frail, he was surprisingly strong. That didn't make me feel any safer though.

We were cruising with the clouds above the New Hampshire city I had arrived in last night, Lances arms clamped around my shoulders and under my knees, and he kept on telling me (every time I complained) that I was welcome to go off and find food myself, but he was the one with the money. I'd rather not go dig through a dumpster.

Once he threatened to drop me, I shut up, looking over his shoulders to examine his wings. They connected to his back in a strong lump of muscle and tissue through an oval hole in the back of his shirt. There were three joints to the limbs- the ones connecting the first bone to his back, and then the two that connected the three wing bones.

I squinted at the way they bent. Father's wings were like dragons, bats- two main bones with finger-like extensions that held the thin skin together. It was uncomfortable looking at Lance's feathers up close.

Sighing, I looked at Lance again, examining his face. He shot me a curious glance, but focused on flying. His mouth was hanging open, breathing heavily in time to the beat of his wings. My eyes wandered to his freckles and then up to his dark brown hair. His halo glowed above his head, spinning. It was thin- like a strand of twine, and glowed gold.

Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back, looking up at the puffy clouds above us. The sky was actually very pretty now that I was looking at it. A nice blue. Suddenly, a faint warmth wandered around us like a breeze, and Lance laughed happily. "Thermal!" He shouted, and stretched his wings out as far as they could go, soaring fast above the city streets.

"What does that mean?" I shouted back over the wind.

He grinned down at me and I pulled back from his too-close face. "Warm updrafts that make everything easier!" he crowed, and I looked back at his wings. Light came through the feathers, making them glow, and the playful wind buffeted the small fluffs of down that lined the tops of Lances elegant limbs. The warm air felt nice on my skin.

"What season is it?" I asked, and then, "What  _year_  is it?"

"Mid-spring," Lance replied, and then told me the year. I blinked. It really  _had_  been a while.

Lance looked down at the city and squinted. "Here we are," he muttered, and I looked at the small pastel bakery he was eying. The decent was shaky because there wasn't an open field to land in this time- just a crowded street, so Lance ended up having to flap his wings like a crazed pigeon to keep us from crash-landing into the cement.

As I pushed Lance away, letting myself out of his arms, I looked skeptically at his wings. "What?" He asked, offended, "They can't see them."

I groaned. "Well, I can. They're weird."

Lance frowned and the wings disappeared. I knew that he'd just made them invisible to me, they were still there, but it annoyed me anyway. Stupid angel. My tail wrapped around my thigh so it wouldn't get in the way and we walked into the bakery.

...

"We need to make a plan," Lance said as he licked chocolate off his fingers.

I didn't say anything- my muffin was too damn good. It was odd being hungry. Usually, in the Underworld that is, we could eat whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, and never feel hungry or full. Dad could pretty much produce any food we wanted, so you bet I'm gonna be asking for these muffins every day once I get back home.

Once I get back home...

Lance's voice shook me from my nostalgia. "I've seen everything. I know where everything is. I can take you anywhere, you just have to ask. Within reason, of course. Angels aren't about breaking the law."

"Devils are," I retorted.

Lance rolled his eyes and pushed a pad of paper and a pen across the table to me. I didn't take it.

"You're serious? Anywhere?"

Lance looked at me steadily. "I'm supposed to guide you wherever you want to go. It's my duty as your angel." I raised an eyebrow but he continued, "The faster you see everything you want to see, the faster you'll 'find your purpose' and you and I can go home. I know you don't like me, but it's tradition and I'm willing to help."

Shrugging, I started writing. To be clear, I knew nothing about the Midworld. I'd only ever known stalactites and stalagmites and darkness and earthy walls. There were no familiar faces here. No Blade. But, with Lance, there were no walls.

_1- See flowers_   
_2- Go to a concert_   
_3- Go on a spy mission_   
_4- Go to an island_   
_5- Find a forest_

I smiled innocently at Lance and passed the list back to him. He read over it silently, then looked at me with a bemused expression.

"Are you kidding?"


	6. First Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance head to the first stop on keiths list, including an airport

_Lance_

The bus driver wouldn't shut up. I hate to be rude and it's really against the Upperworld's morals, but I was tired from flying Keith and myself to the nearest long-distance bus station and I honestly just wanted to sleep.

Keith had refused to sit next to me, which I didn't mind, but he was starting to look pretty agitated by the drivers babbling and I was starting to get worried. For all I knew (and by an educated guess), devils had short tempers.

After Keith had given me his impossible list, I figured out the things that I could accomplish easily, and then the things that I'd have to pull some strings to get, and then the things that were virtually impossible, even for me. What an ass, I'm sure he was doing it on purpose.

The bus driver started going off on a rant about the cold up in New England, and as I glanced over at my devil, I noticed that the whites of his eyes were an alarming shade of black.

Gritting my teeth, I hastily pulled out a pen and an unused napkin from my bag, using my thigh as a writing surface as I drew out the game. I passed the pen and napkin across the aisle to Keith quickly, nudging him with the pen cap.

His head snapped towards me, already scowling. "What?" He whispered incredulously, glancing down at the Hangman game I'd drawn.

"Let's play," I whispered back.

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes, then gestures towards the bus driver. "So my ears don't start bleeding, idiot. Take the napkin."

Keith looked down at the game again, then looked away. Was he... embarrassed?

"I don't know how to play..." he muttered under his breath. I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from laughing.

Teaching Keith how to play Hangman was equally terrifying and hilarious. He absolutely sucked at playing, and each time he didn't get a letter right, the face he made nearly made me burst out laughing. I valued my life, though, so I kept quiet.

Before we knew it (and several Hangman games later that I let Keith win) we'd arrived at the airport. As we stepped off the bus, I had to remind myself that Keith had never seen an airport before. He'd never really seen anything. On the plane ride, I'd have to explain the basics to him (manners, too).

"Where are we going, anyway?" Keith asked as we walked up to the ticket machines, waiting in line for our turn.

"To one of the places on your list," I dismissed vaguely. I could at least have  _some_  fun dragging Keith around the world if I could keep everything we did a secret from him until we were actually there. He looked antsy, curious, and that was strangely satisfying.

As we walked through security after getting our tickets, taking off our shoes and belts, a security guard joked with me about our lack of bags, save for my small leather knapsack. The truth was, we didn't need anything. We could pick up books in one of those shops on the way to our terminal if we needed anything and there were plenty of shows and movies to watch on the plane, I was sure.

After exiting security, I led Keith to the bathrooms, speaking in a low voice as we approached. "You can't get onto a plane with jeans and a t-shirt, at least not where we're sitting." Concentrating, I materialized a set of clothes inside my bag, then reached in and retrieved them as if they'd been in there the whole time. We were still in public, I couldn't go materializing random things out of nowhere in the public eye, and making them invisible would just be a waste of Energy.

Handing the stack of neatly folded fabric to Keith, I instructed him to go into a stall and change. I slipped into the stall next to him, thinking to myself about what would be glamorously professional enough for a plane ride.

I settled on a light blue poncho sweater tucked into a black jean skirt, shoving my dirty clothes (which still had some hay on them from the barn) back into my bag. I leaned against the stall door and sighed heavily, nausea flooding over me. I could feel my halo spinning wildly, trying to tell me to slow down, stop using so much Energy.

Cursing myself for materializing some stupid fancy clothes, I gathered myself and stood up straight, pressed my palms over the skirt and adjusted the sweater over my shoulders, then stepped outside. Keith wasn't out yet, so I leaned forward across the sinks to examine my face. In the mirror, my halo wasn't visible, but I could feel it pulsing a warning.

Ignoring it, I pushed at my face, glaring at the dark circles under my eyes. I would have fixed them with a bit of Energy, but I knew I might not be able to stay stable if I did.

"A tux? I really blend in now," Keith muttered behind me as he stepped out of the stall. I regarded him in the mirror as he pulled at the bottom of his jacket, the red shirt beneath it blooming from under the black tie. I nodded once.

"You'll thank me later." My voice was weak. I don't think he noticed. Looking up at me, Keith wrinkled his nose.

"Aren't those women's clothes?"

"They're comfortable."

"So, yes?"

"I don't think it matters. I look good in them, why should it matter what which gender they were made for?"

Keith shrugged and I rolled my eyes. Even if I wasn't using Energy, Keith alone was exhausting.

We exited the bathroom and continued our way down the long strip of airport to our terminal, stopping periodically at little shops along the way to grab snacks and magazines. Keith picked one up with Zac Efron on the cover and stared at it for so long I thought he had frozen, but then he frowned and shoved the magazine back into its shelf.

"He's weird-looking," he commented to me and I had to restrain myself from replying with a remark about his own hairstyle.

He made me buy a bunch of candies so he could try them all and I agreed only because the sweets would help me regain a bit of Energy. I knew he could see my pulsing halo- I didn't hide anything from the devil. I guess part of me wanted him to ask. Part of me wanted him to be concerned, to ask me if I was okay. My face paled at the idea.

Devils weren't biologically capable of feeling concern. Or gratefulness. Or love. They could be happy, but only because happiness could be intended in a bitter way. I had been so sure that when Shiro and Kuron were here, they'd been happy, but then Adam and Matt came back, eyes red with tears and wings drooping with loss. Devils simply couldn't be loved. And Adam and Matt were broken because of that.

I think maybe it would be harder for me to be with Keith than most of my other sibling, just because I was so emotional. I connected with everything, wanted to love and be loved by everything that I could. Sure, that's what angels were biologically engineered to do- to hold only positivity for those they looked upon. I  _had_ to love Keith and see the good in him and be an actual decent person around him, just because it was who I was. I had to love Keith and he had to hate me. It was just how it went.

Shaking myself out of the daze, I realized that I was staring at Keith. Looking away, I frowned. Why was I thinking like that? I was simply supposed to lead Keith around the Midworld, make sure he gets his kicks and wants to go home, and then go back to my own home and complain about devils to Adam and Matt. They'd understand- I didn't need to think about it now.

We made it to our gate right on time, Keith munching on his selection of Swedish fish and black licorice. We didn't even have a chance to sit before the attendant called us for boarding. I handed Keith his own ticket, watched him watch the people in front of us hand the ticket to the employee, then take it back. We made it through the checkpoint and then walked down the ramp to the plane, my head growing a little bit dizzy. My bag felt like it was full of bricks, and my ankles felt week in the platform sneakers I wore. Steeling myself, we approached the jet and I showed the attendant my ticket.

"First class. Please follow me, sir." I held my head high and lofty, a show to flaunt my assumed wealth. Glancing back at Keith, I bit my lip. He was looking around a bit frantically, observing the jet and looking back into the middle-class section. I kept reminding myself that he'd never seen this, any of it.

First class was as luxurious as I'd imagined, and I was glad that Missus had allowed me to 'buy' these seats. I knew that she wanted to give Keith the best experience she could provide, so I could only hope that he'd show a little bit of leniency.

The stewardess showed us to our seats- white with two big tv screens in front of them, reclinable, chic. I thanked the woman and she dutifully told me that she'd be coming around with champagne as soon as everyone was seated. I slid into the window seat and Keith anxiously plopped down next to me.

I closed my eyes and sank into the seat, but a nagging responsibility tugged at my brain. "We have a lot to talk about," I reminded myself painfully, aloud, even though all I wanted to do was sleep. Keeping my eyes closed, I turned towards Keith, sighing before asking, "Ask me anything."

"What happened to you?"

"I used too much Energy."

"So you're tired?"

"Obviously."

"I don't want to talk to a living corpse. Go to sleep. I'll read the instruction manual to entertain myself."

I peeked open one eye. Keith wasn't looking at me. His scowl was still on his face, but I think the anxiety of all this new scenery might have snapped him out of his funk. Plus, he was eating candy and enjoying the luxuries of first class. Maybe the royal treatment made him feel more at home.

Yawning, I smiled a little, curling up on the seat. "Thanks, Keith."

Before I fell asleep, I heard an attendant over the intercom. "Hello and welcome to JetBlue. Today, please enjoy and relax with our complimentary perks as First Class flight members as we fly from Boston to Seattle..."


	7. Welcome Seattle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance reach their first destination- seattle- and explore the city

_Keith_

Lance had fallen asleep on me. Again. I already had a wet patch of drool on my suit from him, but I decided that I didn't want to wake him up again. When I had the first time to make him get off of me, somehow his halo had zapped me with a tiny bolt of electricity. It hurt like hell and my hand had gone numb for a few minutes. Who knew what would happen if I attempted it again.

About 3 hours into the plane ride, Lance had woken up on his own because he smelled the food that was being prepared, and we enjoyed the first actual meal we'd had since I arrived. For breakfast this morning, we'd gotten something from McDonald's, some weird pancake things with syrup that made my hands sticky. It didn't taste real at all.

But on the plane, they had a surprisingly posh five-course meal- full of wine and cheese and salad. It certainly wasn't like food from home, but I acknowledged that it was good enough. Shortly after we ate, Lance fell asleep  _again_. I guessed he must have been pretty exhausted if he allowed himself to fall asleep in front of all of these strangers, let alone me. 

I stayed awake, of course, and ended up watching a movie called Twilight. I hated it with a passion, but at the same time, I couldn't stop watching it. The captain of the flight had informed us over the loudspeaker that we were flying to Seattle. I had no idea where that was, but the flight was 7 hours long, so I assumed it was pretty far away from New Hampshire and Boston.

It was 8:30 when I finished the stupid vampire movie, so I dozed lightly for the rest of the 1 1/2 hours, staying alert enough to tune into the heartbeats of the people around us. On my shoulder, Lance's hair tickled my neck, and his heartbeat was loud and slow in my ears. It was my choice to enhance my hearing, and I could easily tune him out if I wanted to, but I'd come to the unfortunate realization that I was going to be stuck with Lance for the rest of my time on Earth, so I might as well put up with him as best I could.

I had been stupid to assume that Dad and Missus would let me wander by myself, but I never asked about Shiro and Kuron's angels. What was I supposed to do for Lance? Be his friend? I'm sure what he was doing for me wasn't voluntary, so was he leading me by an order from Missus? Was he going to keep his promises and show me all the things on the list that I wanted to see? It made me feel... spoiled.

I occasionally allowed myself to peek through my eyelids to look at the angel. I hadn't realized it before, but there was a gold band around his wrist with the words, "Amores Vobiscum" etched into the metal. I had no doubt that it was real gold. The Latin phrase was the motto of the Upperworld, 'Love be with you'. I shifted uncomfortably in the seat. Love was a touchy subject. I closed my eyes again.

An hour later, the intercom dinged, signaling the captain, and we were informed that we were beginning the descent. My stomach lurched up to my throat as the jet's nose turned down, and we were plummeting towards the Earth. My knuckles tightened around the armrests. I had been terrified enough taking off, but landing? This was even scarier. Lance slept obliviously. I envied him.

By the time we hit the runway at an alarming speed, I could only hear my own heartbeat in my ears, pounding fast as my eyes were pinched shut. I tried to focus and let my breath slow with the rate of the plane, sighing heavily as we slowed to a stop. Opening my eyes, I wanted nothing more than to get off the plane, but I collected myself and placed a calm facade over my face. Lifting the shade from the window beside Lance, I smiled in relief. Nighttime again.  _My_  time.

I shrugged the shoulder Lance was using as a pillow and unbuckled my seat belt, trying to wake him as gently as I could. "Lance, wake up, you're drooling and people are leaving." Lance groaned loudly and, with seemingly immeasurable effort, heaved himself up into a sitting position. Blinking groggily, he looked around. His halo had steadied.

"Time to go," he announced dumbly, stood, stretched, and then waited for our turn to shuffle out of the cabin. While other passengers waited for the attendants to get their suitcases and luggage out of the compartments overhead, Lance and I slipped by, our only carry on being his little pack.

Lance's skirt was hiked up obscenely high, but he didn't seem to notice (or mind?), even as creepy old men in suits and thousand-dollar watches leered at him. I sneered and glared at them, shielding his body with my own from their hungry eyes- that was the kind of behavior to get you a one-way ticket to Kuron's gate, idiots. We returned up the ramp that connected the jet to the airport and emerged into a flurry of motion.

I had thought that the Boston airport had been crowded, but this was a whole other level. The airport, called Sea-Tac, short for Seattle-Tacoma, was packed with travelers, all toting luggage and talking loudly, small children trailing after parents and groups of college kids laughing as they lounged in the gate waiting spaces.

"Assuming we're not sleeping here, where are we going?" I asked as I followed Lance through the crowd. He seemed to have a destination in mind. He didn't reply as we weaved around groups of people and stands in the middle of the hall. We went down an escalator, then another, to the ground level. He pulled out his phone and, with a flurry of taps, had it pressed to his ear, still walking.

"Sea-Tac, please... Yes... Front entrance... Cash... Thank you." He dropped his phone into his bag and turned to look at me, tired hopefulness on his face. "Hungry?"

...

"This is disgusting."

"It's delicious!"

"It's disgustingly delicious."

"Touche."

Lance and I walked through downtown Seattle, eating hot dogs and fried dough from the street vendors. He had offered to go out to a really fancy restaurant, but I was surprisingly tired, and I knew that he still was. When I had asked why he still seemed exhausted, he'd laughed at me.

"I regenerated my Energy, but I still need sleep for my body. I haven't actually rested yet." It was confusing, but I didn't push it. Lance could handle himself, I didn't need to worry.

It was nearing 11 o'clock, and even the sugary fried dough didn't raise the blanket of fatigue in my body. We walked side-by-side on the sidewalk, strolling slowly. Lance pointed out different landmarks that we passed, wiping powdered sugar on the sleeve of his sweater. He was eager to explain the history of different things, tell me what they'd been before, and then before before, in the 1900's, then the 1800's, then when the land had first been discovered. Why it had been named Seattle (a Native American chief), when the Space Needle was built (1961), when we were going to go on the Great Wheel (tomorrow night).

Lance was so full of knowledge, it seemed like he would burst. I hadn't pegged him as smart, necessarily, so it was a surprise when he piped up with random trivia and facts. Finally, I asked how he knew.

He looked embarrassed. "We see everything. Ever since I... was born... we watch everything that happens in the world. I know every country, every city, every town, what happens, what happened, when and where and how, who hates and who loves who, and why the world is how it is. I have to know everything. I can't not- because I have to love everything. That's the burden of an angel. I don't have a choice."

His sincerity was startling, even more so than his cognizance. I frowned. He knew  _everything_. And I knew nothing.

Lance dropped his half-eaten hot dog in a trash can as we passed it on the street. A homeless man melted out of the shadows and stepped forward to salvage it. I gulped and kept on walking.

"Does it bother you?" Lance asked softly. His eyes had caught the moonlight. "My talking?"

I looked away from him. "No."

...

"We have a reservation for two nights in a double room," Lance told the receptionist at the hotel. I looked around the lobby uneasily. It was incredibly high-end. Couches huddled around tables in the giant lobby, modern art hung around the walls, soft jazz floating down from hidden speakers. I was glad I was wearing the suit.

The receptionist made a small noise of confusion, and I turned my attention back to Lance. "I can't seem to find your reservation," the young woman said, looking up at Lance.

The angel leaned forward, smiling sweetly. "There must be a mistake." His voice was too smooth. "We have a reservation for two nights in a double room," he repeated. I noticed in astonishment that his eyes had turned from dark blue to blinding gold. His eye contact was inescapable to the mortal, and her eyes glowed gold in turn.

He leaned back, eyes returning to normal, and she shook herself, confused. "Yes..." she said dazedly, returning to her computer to type something in. "Yes, I'm sorry, my mistake, sir. Your room is 416. Here are your keys."

I watched alarmedly as the girl's cheeks flushed a deep red when she looked at Lance again, hand shaking as she passed him the two passes. "Thank you very much," Lance replied smoothly, smiling blindingly at her. She seemed to swoon.

"Come on, loverboy," I grunted and pulled Lance towards the elevator. Once the doors had shut behind us, I turned on him. "What was that?" I asked incredulously. To be honest, I was a little scared. Lance was more powerful than he let on.

"Just a little gentle persuasion," he replied, holding his head in his hands. If I didn't know any better, I would've said he was ashamed.

"Gentle?" I asked, "She's in love with you!"

"Enamored," Lance corrected as we stepped out of the elevator onto our floor.

"Same difference!" I scolded him indignantly.

"Why are you mad about it? You're a devil, I would've assumed that you'd enjoy mortal corruption," Lance told me over his shoulder, unlocking our door.

"That's different," I grumbled and stepped in after him.

The suite was more than nice. It was gorgeous. Better than my room at home, certainly better than the barn. Everything was offwhite and light rose, and it overlooked a view of the city. I could even see the giant Ferris wheel in the distance. Two beds were made up with cream-colored sheets, and cool twisty lamps were suspended on the walls. Lance threw his bag onto the bed on the left, so I took the right.

I was tempted to just fall asleep right there, but I needed to brush my teeth and get actual pajamas on. "Lance?" I called. He had bolted for the bathroom. "Can you magic up some pj's?"

"Neon pink or unicorn patterned?" He called back. I snorted.

"Both!"

A stack of folded clothes appeared on my pillow, startling me. They were pink. And they had little unicorns prancing around. "Halohead, I was kidding!" I called back desperately. No way in hell was I wearing these, especially in front of Lance.

"I wasn't!" he shouted. The sound of the shower signaled the end of the conversation.

Groaning, I stripped out of the suit, leaving it in a heap on the floor, and grimaced as I put on the fuzzy flannel bottoms. They surprisingly fit well. I left the button-up, matching top untouched. Not happening.

I didn't take Lance as someone who would take a quick shower, and I was too tired to stay up and wait for my turn in the bathroom, so I decided I'd just brush my teeth in the morning extra-well. Stupid Halohead.

I turned off all the lights in the room, locked the door, and slipped under the soft sheets, sighing in relief. Finally, a real fucking bed. It felt amazing. I was out in seconds.


	8. Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance goes through a transformation and he and keith go to the first place on keith's list... sort of

_Lance_

I woke up to a certain devil noisily slurping coffee from across the room, seeming to make as much noise as he possibly could. Making a face at me when I lifted my head from my pillow to glare at him, Keith made a point of continuing his obnoxious slurping.

"What time is it?" I mumbled. I felt something on my back twitch and realized that my wings had come loose sometime in the night. They lay against my back comfortably as I rested on my stomach.

"6:30," Keith replied smugly, slurping again. I guessed it was espresso.

Groaning, I flopped back down onto my pillow. "It's too early for this shit, devil!" My voice was muffled.

"You hogged the bathroom last night," he commented as if that made a difference.

I didn't reply. Why did Keith have to wake up so early? Was it a devil thing? Did he just naturally wake up unnecessarily early, or was he doing it to piss me off? I'd never know.

Yawning loudly, I slouched out of bed. My wings trailed behind me as I slumped to the bathroom to freshen up and Keith grunted when I passed by the little table he sat at. "Put on a shirt, no one wants to see your try-hard excuses for abs.

"Oh, yeah?" I replied absently, eyeing his bare chest. Like  _he_  had abs. His posture was so terrible, you'd never be able to tell.

The brightness of the cleanly bathroom hurt my early eyes, but I forced myself to wake up little by little, eventually gathering the strength to retract my wings and splash some cold water on my face.

"It's gonna be upper-sixties today, what do you want to wear?" I called to Keith, thinking to myself about what I could wear.

"I get to choose now?" he called back, and I half-smiled. The pink unicorn pajamas had been a nice touch.

"You want me to pick for you again?" I asked, materializing high-waisted shorts and a long-sleeved bodysuit. I dressed quickly, pulling on high boots as well. Might as well be stylish. On second thought, maybe I should just go full feminine. It wouldn't hurt, and Keith definitely wasn't allowed to judge me.

I felt a little giddy at the idea... I liked having long hair and a curvy figure, but it could look a little odd if I did it wrong and it took a lot of Energy. Oh well. That's what coffee's for.

Focusing on my physical form, I gently tugged forward a more feminine body structure- curving my hips, letting in my waist, growing longer and longer hair until it fell down my back past my shoulders blades. Feeling a bit faint, I leaned against the cool bathroom counter, sighing in relief as everything fell into place. Smiling at myself, I nodded once. Perfect.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I winced as Keith glanced up at me then did a double-take, scowling. "What the fuck? Halohead?"

"Still me," I answered, trying my best to act normal as I poured myself a cup of coffee from the kettle that room service had brought. My hair fell down like a curtain, blocking Keith's view of my face as I leaned over the table, biting my lip nervously.

"What did you do?" the devil asked when I straightened, bringing the steaming coffee to my lips.

"I'm Lance's twin sister, Mance," I replied airily, and his horns sprouted from his forehead. I squinted. That had to be painful.

"No, seriously. How did you do that?"

"Can't you?"

Keith stood, revealing the fact that he actually  _did_  have abs. Nice ones too. The tip of his tail flicked in annoyance at my passiveness.

He was still wearing the pajamas, and he looked absolutely hilarious. I sipped my coffee nonchalantly as Keith stepped forward until we were practically chest to chest, eyes narrowed as he scrutinized my face.

"You'd be hot if you weren't such an ass."

In an instant, Keith had a face full of ice cold coffee, dripping off his chin and running down the rivets of his chest. He yelled, jumping back in surprise. "What the fuck?!"

I paused, then flipped my hair saucily over my shoulder, letting the empty coffee mug dangle from my fingers limply. "I'm  _always_  hot."

"Why's is so cold?" Keith sputtered, his tail lashing angrily. I noticed that the whites of his eyes were black. Ooh, that probably wasn't a good thing. I had intentionally cooled down the coffee before I splashed it on him, but maybe I should've just left it at luke-warm.

"Maybe it'll cool down your hotheadedness," I replied, pouring myself another cup of coffee.

Keith stomped over to the bathroom, fuming. "I'm taking a shower!" He growled, slamming the door. I smiled to myself. Typical devil.

...

"Where are we going, anyways?"

Keith had settled down a bit since we left the hotel, which I was grateful for. Maybe it was the rare, beautiful weather or the fact that, out of my own guilt, I actually  _had_  let him chose his own outfit, but either way, he didn't seem to mad at me anymore.

In fact, Keith looked comfortable, all gussied up in his leather jacket and black jeans. He'd seemed to have gotten used to my feminine form now, as he hadn't mentioned it again, but maybe it was just because he was afraid of getting splashed with coffee again.

"We're going to a bus stop," I replied, stopping to wait at a crosswalk.

"And then where?" Keith asked. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets as he strolled casually across the street with me. His hair was still damp from the shower and it was so messy that I felt like making him stop so I could fix it.

"Stop number one on your list," I told him. "But not if you keep walking so slow- we'll miss the bus."

"What time does it arrive?"

I looked at my watch to check the time. 7:30. Fuck.

Grabbing Keith's arm, I launched into a sprint, eyes set as Keith started protesting. "What is it?!" He shouted, stumbling along behind me as I kept a firm hold on his wrist.

"The bus is going to leave without us!"

We careened down the street, apologizing in a rush to startled onlookers who jumped out of our way, dodging trashcans and tourists and small children like a fucking obstacle course. Keith sped up to run next to me and I let go of his arm, looking over at him for a mere millisecond.

And he was  _laughing_. Keith's face was alight with excitement, and he looked over at me too, grinning like a maniac. "We should do this more often!" He laughed, and I couldn't help but laugh back too.

It wasn't often that he'd smile like that at me. We turned onto a side street and I shrieked, pointing at the small blue bus that was beginning to pull off of the sidewalk, urging my legs to run faster as Keith and I barreled down the street.

"Wait!" I called helplessly at the bus, waving my arms like I was crazy, Keith's loping strides carrying him ahead of me. "Stop!"

Just as I thought the bus hadn't seen us, it halted to a stop, brake lights flaring in my early eyes, and I let out a breathless laugh.

"Yes," Keith hissed through his teeth quietly, slowing to a jog as we caught up to where the bus had stopped.

As the bus doors opened, a disgruntled drive gave us the stink eye before ushering us inside, Keith going in as I stopped to pay. My breath still came fast and hard and my chest hurt from being jostled so much without proper support and my knees were shaking a little  _and_ my ankles hurt from running in heeled boots, BUT we had caught the bus, and that was all that mattered.

It was only when I turned to go sit down when I realized just how crowded it was. The bus was  _packed_. I slipped between those who clung to the overhead handles and looked for Keith, lurching forward as the bus jolted into motion. I stumbled as I made my way towards the back of the bus and found Keith, casually holding onto a handle hanging from the ceiling.

He regarded me calmly, then pointed to the handle beside his. I reached for it thankfully, steadying myself as I caught my breath. I noticed that he wasn't the least bit out of breath, or at least he'd recovered unnaturally fast from our sprint.

"Are you a freak athlete or something?" I asked skeptically through my heaving. The people around me pushed against my back and sides, blocking Keith from my view. He didn't reply.

Once I'd regained my breath, I realized how much of a toll the run had taken on me. I was already drained from producing clothes, changing my form, producing money and such just from the past hour, and now the physical activity had drained my Energy. My legs wobbled and I looked around frantically for an open seat. Zero, zip, zilch, nada, nothing.

I fell forward through the crowd and my hands searched for a leather jacket. He'd kill me for this.

Keith let out a sharp exhale as I hit him, my hands clutching his shoulders. My shoulders shook. He stumbled, off-balance as he searched for purchase, scrambling for another hand-hold. He found an empty handle and gripped it, hands suspended as he supported my weight leaning against him.

"What the fuck, Halohead?" He muttered. With the transition, I'd shrunk a few inches, and even with the boots, I was shorter than Keith. It felt odd. Around us, people shifted and crowded in closer as more people came onto the bus. Someone pressed against my back, pinning me firmly to Keith's chest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him, "It's my fault."

He didn't reply and I was afraid to meet his eyes.

"I just need to rest for a few minutes. I'm sorry." My body was flush against his, and I could feel his strength and anger through his clothes.

"First the coffee, and now this?" Keith grunted. He sounded properly pissed. "I'm really not enjoying a female angel anymore. This is bullshit," he complained quietly.

"I know," I said apologetically.

"You should get a refund," he muttered. I wanted to ask what he meant, but my body felt like lead. I gripped his shoulders harder. I barely had the strength to stay upright. It was the best I could do to keep on my feet. "For your Energy, I mean. Seems like you've got a bit of a shit amount if I'm being honest. If it runs out this fast?"

I wanted to smile.

My ear was against his chest and I noticed with a reeling surge of discomfort that he didn't have a heartbeat. Breathing shallowly, I kept my eyes closed.

_Just keep conscious._

After a good ten minutes with stops every few minutes to let on and let out passengers, I regained motion. Shifting, I relaxed my hands from his jacket, letting the material slid from my fists until I was just holding on for balance.

"You alright, now? You're heavy."

I looked down, pushing off Keith and reaching up for a handle above me. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Why did I push myself like this? Normal angels could regulate their Energy use. Why couldn't I? What was wrong with me?

I felt Keith's eyes on me, so I let my hair fall over my face, blocking him out as I studied my shoes intently. Mother, help me.

Another five minutes and the bus had significantly lightened its load. When it stopped again, I let go of the handle and made my way to the front of the bus. I heard Keith follow me.

7:45 on the dot as we stepped off the bus and onto the sidewalk. I surveyed our surroundings, checking in with my memory to make sure we were in the right place.

We stood on a wide street with little shops on either side of it, pastel and sweet. To our left, the street curved up and away towards residential. To our right, it led to a parking lot scattered with cars. And beyond that, a bay. A harbor. Chock-full of sailboats and speedboats and cruisers. Their sleek sides and heaps of sails made my heart leap.

I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. Salty air caressed my face and cleared my sinuses. I could practically feel the water against my skin and I wanted nothing more than to run to the harbor and jump into the ocean.

However, we weren't here for me. We were here for my devil. I opened my eyes and set them to the store across the street. It was painted a light pink with big windows in front, showcasing floral-patterned shirts, fake leis, and potted orchids.

A sign settled neatly across the top, reading in pretty, vintage writing, "Allura's Arboretum and Floristry". Stop number one.


	9. Bouquet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance explore Allura's Arboretum and Floristry... what will they find?

_Keith_

All I know is that it smelled amazing. Inside the small, beachside flower shop, the delicate scent of something I'd never recognized floated around me. The wide room, packed with shelves and tables and racks of hangers, had everything flowers. Shirts, backpacks, decorative boxes, stuffed animals.

And then, lining the shelves, plants of every type. Down in the Underworld, we had a few plants, but not many as our artificial sunlight didn't do wonders for them. I'd never seen plants like this before, though.

Purple blooms with long stems, vibrant red bouquets of delicate petals, clusters of tiny white florets nestled between boasting pink blossoms. Small pots held shooting stems that read "aloe", then spiky rounds that I could only assume were cacti. I wandered around the perimeter of the room slowly, running my fingers over leaves and examining odd plants. Lance was off in another section, so I was surprised when a figure suddenly stepped up to me.

"May I help you with something?"

I jerked back from the small succulent I had been looking at, immediately in defense mode. I unconsciously felt for my knife at my hip, then forced myself to relax, realizing that it was a mere mortal.

The first thing you noticed about her was her bright white hair, flowing in messy waves over her shoulders and back. Her skin was a bit darker than Lance's, and it contrasted well with her hair. She looked at me eagerly, and I glanced down to see that she was wearing alarmingly high platformed sandals.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, I'm just looking," I said apologetically. She was a bit intimidating, to be honest, with her big blue eyes and strong smile.

"Is there anything I can help you find? I make bouquets at a low cost."

The woman's eyes shone happily. She must be Allura- I didn't see any other workers in the shop.

"Um... yeah, sure. That would be nice," I didn't know much about flowers, so this might be interesting.

"Oh, good! You'd be surprised how quiet it's been since tourist season ended," Allura said, leading me to the back of the store where her counter was. Behind her, there was an open doorway that exposed a small back room that looked to serve as a workshop- flower clippings everywhere, spools of twine, sheets of plastic.

"What can I make for you today?"

I was just about to explain that I didn't exactly know about flowers when a certain angel sidled up to me.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Allura, but we're actually not here to buy anything," Lance said serenely, smiling at Allura with a calm expression. I couldn't tell if he was still embarrassed by what happened on the bus, but he wasn't meeting my eyes still.

The way Allura's face fell made a harpoon of pity hit me in the chest and I immediately jabbed my tail into Lance's side, brightening my face and hurrying to amend his news, " _Yes_ , we  _are_. What do you have to offer? I don't know much about flowers."

Lance shot me a confused look, but I ignored him. This poor woman deserved some business- she seemed to be fairly new at this whole "running a shop" shindig, and I could tell that maybe her shop hadn't fared too well, even in the touristy season of Seattle. Who was going to buy a floral shirt in September? I certainly would, if it made her feel better about her business.

I normally wouldn't act like this- it seemed much too  _good_  then I cared to admit, but not only was Father the god of the dead, he was also the god of wealth and riches, so it was only fair that I helped out this woman as she tried her hand at making a business for herself. Besides, I wanted a bouquet.

"Oh! I have a whole binder! Let me show you!"

As Allura hurried into the back room, Lance caught my eye. "What are you doing?" he asked- or she? I guess... Yeah, that was still a bit weird.

"She's desperate," I whispered back. I smiled a little bit as the acoustic music played from a speaker in the front of the shop lifted my spirits into a carefree calm.

"You know that this isn't the place we're actually going to go, right?" Lance asked me, shifting in her velvet boots.

"I didn't know that, actually," I replied saucily, "because you never tell me where we're actually going."

Lance didn't say anything to that. Within a few minutes, Allura came back over to the counter with a giant, white binder in her arms. Her smile was in full bloom- white hair fluffy and wild. Slapping down the binder, Allura flipped open to a random page, which displayed four elaborate bouquets.

"Choose anything you'd like."

...

So, basically, the beach wasn't what I'd expected. La Push was pretty, I guess, but it was still morning, so it was partly cloudy and cool outside on the beach. Lance and I made our way down the sand, passing giant pieces of driftwood and college students cluttered on plaid blankets, talking and laughing quietly in the calm air.

After I had picked a bouquet (that Lance didn't like but paid for anyway), Allura told us that it would take about half an hour to prepare it. So, naturally, she recommended that we go down to the beach to check it out while we waited. Swimsuits were surreptitiously magicked up and we changed in Allura's tiny dressing rooms before strolling down past the harbor to the beach.

As Lance and I trudged down the moist dunes to the water, my tail leaving a snake-like trail in the sand behind me, I could tell that the ocean was going to be freezing. The floral swim trunks weren't going to help one bit. Lance didn't seem the least bit concerned, all flamboyant in a bedazzled bikini. She seemed to still be embarrassed about the bus incident, but I didn't say anything. It had been just as weird for me.

The only time I ever willingly made physical contact with someone else at home, it was in training when I landed a lucky blow on one of the Blades. The elite warriors were the best of the best and my father's council, and they'd taught me to fight.

They were composed of selected boxers, wrestlers, all of that samurai karate stuff too, that Kuron and Shiro nominated for Dad's approval. They were the bravest men that I knew, and the highest ranking fighters were gained partial immortality by Dad so they wouldn't drift away like other untended spirits. They were my brothers-in-arms, and I certainly missed them.

I wasn't very keen on physical contact at all if I was being honest. But maybe because Lance had so many siblings, skinship was just a part of him. I was thankful, then, that I had been wearing my jacket- thankful that I had that extra layer between myself and the angel.

Freezing water over my toes jolted me out of my trace. I heard a splash and a scream ahead of me and my attention snapped to the ocean, instinctively defensive, before realizing that it was just Lance bounding into the water, waves splashing around her as she yelled in shock.

Maybe it was a good time to tell her that I didn't know how to swim.


	10. Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after keith and lance go swimming, they find themselves on a ferris wheel??

_Lance_

 

So, Keith couldn't swim. I would've laughed if he wasn't so embarrassed and pissed. It wasn't that I blamed him- he literally lived under a rock. I guess I just assumed that he had, like, magic swimming pools down there. I guess not.

Anyways, Keith didn't want to go any further than his waist, shivering as I chided him that he'd be less cold if he actually went underwater, but I wasn't going to waste my time on a hopeless case. I was too elated to be upset- I was finally in the ocean, however cold it was, and I was swimming like a seal.

Diving underwater, I opened my wings and caught the currents beneath them, angling the tips down to shoot beneath the waves and glide along the sand, trailing my fingers in the grains, the water sliding along my skin and feathers, bubbles bursting from my lips. It was perfect.

Was it selfish? Was the Arboretum not the real reason why we were here? Yes. Keith's real surprise was something this weekend, down in California. I just had to see the beach before we did his mission though- I needed it for myself.

Plus, Seattle was mellow enough for Keith before we plunged headfirst into California. In a way, I was taking baby steps with the devil. He would get overwhelmed if he was in such a crowded, loud area like Cali immediately. So Seattle was his warm-up and my cool-down. And man, was the ocean cold.

Surfacing, I turned back to face the beach, rolling my eyes at Keith, who stood, arms-crossed, waist-deep in the ocean. He looked sour, per usual.

"C'mon!" I shouted, waving my arms, "It's not that bad!"

"No way in hell!" Keith shouted back, scowling at me. I shrugged, quirking a half-smile at the devil. His loss.

Flopping onto my back, I floated on the freezing waves, gazing up at the cloudy sky, running my hands through the salty water, bliss rolling off me. There weren't going to be many moments to myself on this trip.

I smiled to myself, thinking about how I was basically the devil's babysitter. I wondered if Matt and Adam were looking down at me right now, talking in hushed voices about Kuron and Shiro, how the undead twins had broken their hearts.

I never really asked about what happened between the twins and my brothers- I didn't want to push it. I only glimpsed the four of them together once in a while, when I got the chance. I had been on an assignment from Mother back then, training my new siblings on how to perform angelic duties and whatnot.

I  _had_  been there when Matt and Adam had returned, though. Adam's face was stoic, hard like plaster, eyes dark and dead. Beside him, Matt was a mess, tears falling down his cheeks, shivering. Mother had swept them inside the house and talked with them for a long time, and she must have said something comforting because when they came back out, Adam was a little softer and Matt had stopped crying. I never asked what happened. Now that I was with Keith, I wasn't sure I even wanted to know.

Lifting a hand out of the water, I held my palm up toward the sky and sighed. Could they see me?

...

Keith buried his nose in the blooms he held, eyes closed in bliss. The vibrant red poppies and slim calla lilies were tied in a bouquet with red silk, and they smelled intoxicating. Allura beamed at Keith, eyes alight with pride.

It was almost ironic that Keith had chosen the poppy bouquet. I mean, considering what we were going to California for... I guess this just meant that I knew he'd enjoy the surprise I had in store for him.

Allura handed me a large white book, explaining that when the flowers began to die, we could preserve them by pressing them in the book. I flipped through the book's blank pages and smiled at her.

We said our goodbyes and Keith and I walked out of the shop, stopping just outside to decide what to do next. Keith refused to take his face out of the flowers until he started sneezing from the pollen.

...

"No matter how much product you put in your mullet, it's still not gonna look good!" I shouted at Keith. I heard him grunt indignantly from inside the bathroom, and then the sound of a hairdryer. It was early evening, and after a long day of sightseeing, shopping, movie-watching, and walking around Seattle, Keith and I had decided to stop back at the hotel to drop off our stuff before heading out to get dinner.

Keith stepped out of the bathroom, looking frustrated with his messy flop of hair. "Of course it looks good, Halohead."

I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling too big. "Here... just let me..." I reached forward to his hair, but he jerked back, shooting me an offended glare.

"I'm not gonna kill you," I explained to him slowly, holding my hands up in surrender, "I'm fixing it, dumbass."

Keith begrudgingly let me push his hair back. It was stiff from all the product he'd put in it, so I pushed a bit of Energy through his scalp to get rid of the chemicals. The devil's hair immediately became softer and I combed my fingers through it to get it to lay flat before securing a tiny ponytail in the back above his neck.

We both flinched when my fingers brushed the nape of his neck, his skin warm to my freezing fingers, but I didn't say anything until I'd finished. Stepping back, I smiled a little as Keith tentatively felt his head, looking at me in confusion.

"I just put it back so it wouldn't bother you."

"It feels weird."

"You can take it out if you want."

"I like it."

I had changed back into a masculine body again and I think that it had relaxed Keith a little- he seemed less tense when I was in my regular body, but I didn't know why. Maybe he was just really bad at talking to girls.

We wore casual jeans and sweatshirts from our shopping experience and I'd swapped my boots for some comfortable vans.

"Vamonos."

...

"Oh my god... KEITH! You're dripping-" I burst into giggles as a blob of cheese fell off of Keith's pizza slice onto his white sweatshirt. Keith's eyes went wide, chewing frantically. Still laughing, I waved my hand over the stain to get rid of it and handed Keith a few napkins, taking a bite out of my own pizza.

"It's not my fault!" Keith sputtered indignantly, "It's hard to eat!"

You've gotta fold it," I told him, showing him how I had folded my own slice.

"Look at you, Halohead, being all innovative," Keith replied sarcastically, but he folded his pizza too.

We were waiting in line at the Seattle Great Wheel- a giant Ferris wheel that shone with fluorescent lights, casting blue and purple tones over us as it spun slowly. I glanced out over the bay to the sun, watching it approach the horizon. If we were lucky, we'd be able to see the sunset from the gondola.

Keith and I finished our pizza quickly as we approached the man taking tickets. I pulled ours out of my bag and watched Keith out of the corner of my eye. I wondered how extreme Keith's fear of heights was.

Handing the attendant our tickets, we stepped into a small gondola, another attendant shutting the door behind us. Keith and I sat opposite each other, looking anywhere but each other's faces, trying not to make it awkward. It wasn't hot enough to have the aircons running in the gondolas- it was only early spring- so the air was comfortable.

With a jerk, the gondola began moving and I smiled softly, looking through the glass walls to watch us lift up from the pavement- higher and higher. Across Elliott Bay, the sun began to sink below the horizon, setting the sky in vibrant pink and orange.

I glanced at Keith and, while his face looked relaxed, his knuckles were white as he gripped the sides of his seat. We rose higher still and I felt my stomach in my throat as we peaked in our first revolution, the sunlight sweeping through the gondola in a flash of gold.

I felt Keith's anxiety and started to feel bad, wondering if this could've been a bad idea. He had seemed fine with it at first. I could stop the ride if I wanted to, even if it took a lot of Energy, if it made him feel safer.

We sat in silence as the gondola passed up and over another rotation. I looked at Keith again. His breath was coming faster and he was staring at the ground. Worried, I closed my eyes, tapping into the mechanics around me, carefully disconnecting a single wire, harmless enough. The wheel slowed to a stop.

I opened my eyes to be met with molten gold. We were at the top of the wheel on our third and last rotation, sitting precariously on the top of the wheel. It was in the exact spot where the sun's sinking rays cast through the gondola, coating us in light. Keith's skin glowed and his dark eyes went bright as the sun caught his irises.

He was staring at me anxiously, panicking. "What happened?" his voice was fragile. I leaned forward and gently pulled his hands from the sides of the bench he sat on, holding his pale hands inside mine. I kept eye contact, focusing everything I had into Keith's eyes. His hands were shaking. I held them tighter.

"You have nothing to be afraid of."

Time seemed to freeze and I was aware of Keith and Keith only, eyes locked, golden sun coating us in a swath of velvet warmth.

Keith's hands stilled, jaw slack. I reconnected the wire with a small push of Energy. The Ferris wheel resumed turning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guyyysss dfdksal;hfdsla i have so much plANNED for this fic ugh i just wanna write it already! good ! stuff ! is! coming ! soon !!!
> 
> also... the wonderful Mercy volunteered to proofread these chaps from now on, so y'all will hopefully see some better grammar from here on out lmao
> 
> if you've read my stuff before, you know how bad i am at editing lmao


	11. On the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> as lance and keith pack up to head off to their next destination, they have some pretty memorable moments

_Keith_

_Blue eyes glowing gold. Brown skin turning caramel before my eyes. Strands of brown hair floating with static. Pink lips in a smile. Cold hands. Cold hands holding mine. Tethering me to Earth. Keeping me down. Pushing my head underwater. Around my neck. Choking. Taking my life. With a smile._

I lurched forward, eyes flying open. Heaving, I looked around frantically, confused. Afraid, even. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was.  
The hotel room was pitch-black and silent, save for the angel's soft snores. I held my head in my hands, slowing my breathing.

Scenes from my nightmare kept flashing through my mind. One second, Halohead was holding my hands, smiling, and the next he was strangling me, eyes crazed. I glanced over at his sleeping figure, splayed out over the mattress, arms strewn recklessly beside him, chest rising and falling.

I pressed my hand over my chest, catching my breath, shaking slightly. I pressed two fingers to the side of my neck and found no pulse. I've never had one. I'm technically dead. Lance had one, though. I tuned into it now, hearing the comforting, slow pulse of his heart.

I turned to the clock on our shared bedside table and sighed, laughing a little. 2:46 AM. Even I didn't wake up this early. I flopped back down on my back, my pillow letting out a puff of protest. I looked over at Lance again.  
Our beds were close enough that if I reached out, I could touch his mattress. Of course, I wouldn't, though.  
I fell asleep to a deep, lulling  _thu-thump, thu-thump_.

...

"Up! Up! Up!" I crowed, throwing a pillow at the sleeping angel. It was actual morning now, not the middle of the night, and I was in an incredibly good mood, for some reason. Not good enough to let Lance sleep in, though.  
He had informed me the night before that we had a 17-hour drive ahead of us- from Seattle to somewhere called Lancaster, California. He'd even shown me a map.

"I need all the sleep I can get," Lance groaned at me, batting my pillow away blindly with a limp hand. His face was buried in his pillow and his hair was a mess.

"Guess I'll just pour coffee on you," I said, shrugging, and made for the coffee pot, "but I don't know how to cool it down like you can."

As if sensing that I would actually pour coffee on him, Lance scrambled out of his bed, muttering curses under his breath. "You asshole. Can't get my right quiznacking hours of beauty sleep with you around."

I wrinkled my nose at the odd swear. "Not my fault."

" _Yes_ , your fault," Lance grumbled, pouring himself coffee that room service had brought. He flicked his hand at my bed and a messy pile of clothes flopped down. In a second flick, a neat stack of clothes landed on his own bed. I scowled at him.

"You sure are petty," I informed the angel, grabbing the clothes and walking to the bathroom.

...

"We need some guidelines," Lance said as we slid out of the lot behind the hotel after inconspicuously magicking up a car. It had visibly worn Lance out, but he seemed okay once he was sitting down.

The car he'd produced was cute in its own way. Small, a little bit cramped in the front, but cute. I had already pushed my seat all the way back and had my feet up on the dash, musing over the ways I was going to spend the next 17 hours.

"What do you mean?" I asked absently, leaning forward to dig through the glove compartment. The only thing I found was the car manual, but I wasn't about to start reading that, even if I was dying of boredom. 

"I mean, we need some rules. We're going to be stuck with each other."

"Aren't we always," I replied, laughing a little.

Lance rolled his eyes, "In an enclosed space."

"That still sounds like normal to me," I commented. Lance wrinkled his nose in annoyance.

"Without being able to move," he said, exasperated.

"There you go," I muttered.

Lance continued as we pulled onto the main road, moving slowly behind traffic, "It's always a rule that the driver picks the music," I snorted, "but, just for you, I'll let you play your own stuff for 20 minutes an hour."

I glared at Lance. "Quite a compromise you've got there."

"If you can't drive, you can't complain," Halohead replied in a sing-song voice. It made me want to punch him.

"Then teach me how to drive," I said impulsively.

Lance quirked an eyebrow, eyes trained on the road, hands relaxed on the steering wheel as he maneuvered through the rows of cars.

"What?" I demanded at his silence.   
The angel paused for a second, smiling with closed lips like he was holding in a secret.

"I just think..." he stopped again. "That you need to control your own anger before you control a machine."

I sneered at the angel, gazing at my own hands. They were pale. Slim fingers and bones jutting out from the translucent skin. Veins that were shaded blue. Nails bitten to the bed.   
I looked back to Lance's, loosely curled around the wheel. His skin was light brown and opaque and his fingers were long and nimble. His nails grew a little past his fingertips. Around his wrist, that trademark gold band.

" _Love be with you_ ". Bullshit.

...

 **hour 1**  - 6:30 a.m.

Lance started to play his music and, after 5 consecutive Beyonce songs, I begged to take my own 20-minute music turn. Lance let me scroll through YouTube until I found something familiar. Queen. To my smug satisfaction, Lance looked pained as we listened to rock music on repeat. He eventually came out of his funk about my music taste when I played Bohemian Rhapsody.

 **hour 3**  - 9:30 a.m.

We stopped at Panera and Lance left the car running (with me in it) as he went in to get bagels. I considered driving away but then was glad that I didn't when he came back with the best fucking bagel I've ever had. Lance played Shakira and I played heavy metal. We cross into Oregon.

 **hour 6**  - 12:30 p.m.

We started the Hamilton soundtrack and Lance is a terrible rapper. I played My Chemical Romance to salvage my own ears, but Lance, the little shit, knew the words to The Black Parade.

 **hour 10**  - 4:30 p.m.

We'd just passed the border from Oregon to California and Lance was singing to latino pop music he found on the radio. I kind of liked it when he spoke Spanish- he didn't annoy me as much. I relented into playing some softer music- Sleeping with Sirens and Makeout Monday.

 **hour 12**  - 6:30 p.m.

Lance stopped on the side of a long, straight road and got out, stretching. He looked at me expectantly.

"You wanna drive?"

I got out of the car as well and look around. There were no cars in either direction. We switch places. Lance was very methodical about the way he explained things, but I just wanted to go. As soon as he released his hand from the clutch, I took over.

We sped down the road at a stunning 80 miles an hour. Lance yelled at me to stop, but he didn't explain the break and gas very well, so I screamed too, hands in a death grip around the wheel, Lance's knuckles turning white as he clenched my forearm. I could barely feel the pain until a jolt of electricity snapped out from Lance's halo and shocked my temple.

Somehow, I slammed on the breaks.

And somehow, Lance's face slammed into the dash.

And  _somehow_ , there was suddenly blood.

Lance cried out and lurched out of the car, clutching his nose as tears poured down his face. I slowly took my hands off the steering wheel and pulled the key from the ignition. I felt a bit paralyzed.

Carefully stepping out of the car, I walked over to Lance. Blood was running down his palms. The angel whirled towards me, eyes scared and upset and in pain. I stepped back unconsciously, unsure of what to do. His eyes were gold. They're terrifying.

His mouth is all screwed up funny like he wants to say something, his eyebrows raised in an expression somewhere between fury and pain. Instead, he stayed silent, and I watched him swallow his words. Lance's wings emerged from his back and wrapped around his frame, hiding his face and torso from my view.

I turned away. Shame rolled off of me and I hated it. I'm not used to the feeling. Back home, breaking someone's nose meant a victory in a fight. I knew it's not the same here.

After a few minutes of me staring off down the road, biting my lip and kicking at the dirt, I heard Lance's feathers ruffle and I turned back to face him and his smooth voice. Lance's face was no longer bloody and his nose was as straight as it was before. His shirt was clean. The circles beneath his eyes are darker.

He sees the keys in my palm and I felt them leave my grasp, pulled by an invisible force to Lance. He caught the keys and rounded the side of the car to the driver's seat. The ignition starts.

For a split second, I thought he was going to leave me there, alone on the side of the road, miles away from anything. But he waited until I was in the car with my seatbelt on before he eased into a gentle pace.

I couldn't look at him. He didn't play music or speak.

 **hour 13**  - 7:30 p.m.

Lance still wouldn't talk to me. The sunset, pink tonight, shone through the windows of the car and cast his skin rose gold. I saw signs for Sacramento, California. I wondered why Lance was doing this for me. I wondered if he was going to keep his promise. I wondered if I deserved it anymore.

 **hour 15**  - 9:30 p.m.

I woke up to soft music on the stereo and I tried to remember when I fell asleep, but I couldn't. The lo-fi music Lance was playing was relaxing, and, try as I might, I felt myself falling asleep again, but not before I looked at Lance, who just looked sad now.

 **hour 17**  - 11:30 p.m.

We arrived in Lancaster, California. Lance didn't say a word.


	12. Say Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance have to get over their argument... especially because they've arrived at their first spot

_Lance_

I lay awake in the motel room, staring up at the ceiling. Through the open window, I could hear the sound of crickets and the occasional car passing, it's headlights casting light across the walls of our small room. The floor was hard and uncomfortable and it smelled like puke and piss, but I wasn't about to crawl up into the bed with Keith.

I wasn't really mad at him still, but I wanted him to at least apologize. It had hurt like hell, but I was able to fix it, after all, and I'd given him enough silent treatment. I just wanted him to be sorry.

And maybe that was stupid. It probably was, considering what he was. I didn't know if devils could feel empathy, regret, shamefulness, so I didn't know if it was possible for Keith to even know what it meant to be sorry, but I wanted him to know. I wanted him to be... so many things. More considerate, more sensitive, more careful.

I rolled onto my side, closing my eyes. I liked that he could be funny, in the driest way possible. I liked that he knew what happiness was and that his smile was rare but real. I knew that he had strong morals and knew what he wanted.

I admired him for those things. I didn't know what it meant to be stable with my choices and sound with my decisions. I just did what was expected of me, never knowing what would come next, always wondering what would be my next challenge.

Keith was nothing like that. He knew what he wanted and how to get it, and he seemed to always know what he was doing, even if he didn't. He reminded me of Adam, in some ways. Cool and strong-hearted.

I glanced up at the bed Keith was sleeping in. Or, he could be awake, I didn't know. I wanted so many things, it was hard to keep track. I wanted to be valuable, for someone to think that I was good enough. I wanted to be strong and grounded. I wanted to be smart like Matt and brave like Adam and kind like my mom.

I wanted to have a place in the world, and so far, I hadn't found it. I didn't...  _know_  what my life meant if you could even call it that. I was just spinning through the years, doing random pointless things and constantly trying to be good enough at something.

Where was my place? Where was I wanted?

I flipped back onto my back, sighing quietly. The crickets chirped below the sound of Keith's soft breathing. He sounded asleep, and I don't know why, but I called out quietly to him.

"Keith?" I whispered, fingers laced over my stomach. No reply. I closed my eyes, pressing my lips together.   
"I... I just want you to say sorry," I breathed, then pulled my blanket over my head and fell asleep, a pit of sadness knotting in my stomach.

...

For the first time in 4 days, I woke up on my own. Sitting up, I looked around the tiny motel room, quickly realizing that Keith wasn't there. In a way, I guessed that was a good thing- it meant that I could sleep in if I wanted to, but upon looking at the clock and realizing that I should be getting up anyway, I decided to just get ready for the day.

Keith's bed was made neatly, and there was a piece of paper on the comforter. Picking it up, I recognized Keith's curly, looping handwriting.

_Going out._

Wow, very descriptive. Sighing, I looked outside. The sun was climbing steadily in the blue sky, and I could see heat rolling off the pavement outside. I checked my phone. It was April 28th, sunny with a high of 74 degrees.

After folding my blanket from the floor and putting it and my pillow on the bed, I walked into the kitchen to make coffee and root around the kitchen for something to eat. I found a small container of instant coffee and some sugar in the cabinet, but not much else, except some peanuts and a bottle of Tums.

Sighing, I mixed the coffee into hot water and poured some sugar in it. I needed to conserve my Energy if I had to produce some sort of breakfast for Keith and me, so I guessed I'd be having black coffee until he showed up.

As if on command, I heard the door open behind me. Turning, I was met with a sweaty Keith, who happened to be carrying several shopping bags and a gallon of milk. He didn't meet my eyes as he set the bags down on the kitchen table, then set to unlacing his shoes.

I pushed myself up to sit on the counter, watching Keith carefully. I'd given him money yesterday when we'd stopped at CVS for snacks, so he probably used his leftover cash to pay for everything.

"Hey," I tried, and Keith's head snapped up so fast I flinched. His eyes were wide. I tried to keep my composure, trying to look calm and collected.

Keith shook himself, then looked back down at his shoes. "Hey," he murmured.

I swung my legs slightly, leaning back. "I see you went shopping," I said slowly, "Thank you."

Keith finished untying his shoes, setting them neatly by the door, whereas I had, somewhat recklessly, kicked my own shoes off and they lay haphazardly around the doorway.

"It's no problem," he replied, finally holding my gaze. The collar of his shirt was damp with sweat.

"What'd you get?" I asked casually, hopping off the counter to peer through the bags.

Keith started pulling items out of the plastic, "Eggs, butter, bread, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, Oreos..." he trailed off. I slowly stepped closer to him, then closer still. I didn't know what to say to break the residual tension.

Looking down at Keith, I made him meet my gaze. I could feel the heat of his skin through his shirt. "Thank you," I repeated, trying to put more than that into my words. It was more than a thank you. I was trying to excuse him for what had happened last night.

I wasn't sure if he understood until his eyes softened a bit, eyebrows drawn together, the slightest bit of remorse creeping into his voice as he, too, repeated, "It's no problem." His dark eyes shifted around my face, unable to focus. I was the first to step back, just a little bit relieved.

...

"Should I just stop asking where we're going?" Keith asked as we sped along the highway, following the snaking line of cars to our destination.

I let out a small laugh. "Probably, yeah. I can't see why you'd keep trying- I love surprises."

"I'm not sure I could say the same," Keith commented, fidgeting with his seatbelt.

I smiled to myself and turned up the radio. Things between Keith and I were more comfortable now, which I was thankful for. I didn't mind too much that he hadn't specifically apologized, but I got the feeling that maybe he wasn't that kind of person.

Maybe he was the kind of person who tried to  _show_  that he was sorry instead of actually saying it. Or maybe he was just a devil who didn't know what being sorry meant.

As we slipped into traffic, the road narrowing from highway to a single two-way street, carrying us past palm trees and dry shrubs and over hills. Soon, the long line of cars passed under a huge banner, announcing our destination.

Keith read it aloud slowly. "California... Poppy Festival?" I grinned.

"Yep. Welcome to the  _actual_  first stop on your list. I took you to the flower shop to see what your favorite kind of flower was, and, extremely ironically, it was the poppy bouquet that you wanted. So, of course, the Poppy Festival is where we had to go. You're lucky we made it on time- it's kind of amazing that you chose poppies right when the famous festival is happening."

Keith didn't reply. I looked over at him nervously. What if he didn't like it? But, Keith's face was alight with excitement, something I rarely saw, and he flashed me a small smile.

"Thanks, Halohead," he said before pressing his face to the window, looking outside to admire the stands and tents we passed, full of the bright orange color of the flower. There was poppy clothing, poppy food, poppy plants everywhere, and as the orange petals surrounded us, I felt satisfaction roll through me. I was doing alright.

I had completed Keith's first request without any major problems, so I had to be doing okay if nothing had gone wrong yet.


	13. I Don't Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Keith and Lance enjoy the field, they head back into the festival and Lance needs a dancing partner

_Keith_

The field took my breath away. Never before had I seen something so gorgeous- a rolling sea of orange and red blossoms, swaying in a feather-like breeze. As Lance and I walked through the hills of the field, people mingling around us, we didn't speak.

The singular, narrow path wound through the meadow of poppies, leading us through a trail of beauty as we stared in awe. In front of me, an ocean of flowers stretched out, contrasting the dome of blue that spread above us, puffy, perfect clouds floating lazily across the sky.

Lance seemed okay now, which was a relief. He was more powerful than he let on- I didn't want to go making an enemy, but there was something else too. It didn't feel right, him being mad at me. It was different than when Dad or the Twins or someone from the Blade was mad. Lance's anger was all-consuming and a total guilt-trip. I didn't like the feeling.

The whole field was filled with the smell of poppies, earthy and sweet. I thought of home and how this would never be possible down there. I had learned from Allura that poppies didn't like shade- that they needed bright light, so this... might be the last time I'd ever see such vibrant flowers. I smiled sadly.

Lance stopped, crouching to observe a cluster of pale poppies on the side of the trail. He looked up at me, squinting through the sun.

"Wanna fly?"

I frowned at him. "Not really."

Lance looked out over the field. "We could go all the way out there, and I'd stay low to the ground, if you wanted."

I looked to where he was gesturing. The middle of the field, out of the way from the trail, alone. I looked uneasily at Lance, and then at the people around us.

"Don't drop me," I submitted reluctantly, but to be honest, I wanted to go out there, lay in the field and breathe in the orange.

Lance's wings sprung from his shoulders as the air shimmered around us- the invisibility he cast, and he scooped me up into his arms, holding me to his chest as we launched into the air. I had to remind myself of his words last time we flew- " _We may be invisible but I cannot make us mute, so please shut your quiznak before I drop you_ ," and I swallowed my protests.

I was acutely aware of Lance's arms, one under my knees, his other around my shoulders. His skin was warm. I looked away, arms looped tightly around his neck.

Lance rose high in the air, the wind from his wings ruffling my hair, then swooped down, gaining speed so we could glide over the field- the poppies a blur of color as we flew over them.

Lance whooped with joy as we soared over the field. I laughed breathlessly, just a little bit terrified. We shot like a bullet over the meadow and, still holding onto Lance with one hand, I reached down and stretched my fingertips down to just barely touch the poppies.

And just like that, Lance was powering his wings up again, and we lifted off from the flowers. I felt giddiness taking hold in my mind and I lifted my face to the bright sky, taking in the warmth of the sun, the smell of poppies flooding my senses.

I didn't even mind Lance's strong arms around me.

...

"Here," Lance giggled, placing the flower crown on my head. We were sitting in the middle of the poppy field, clothes covered in pollen and orange petals, a little loopy from the intense fumes, but otherwise fine. I would have preferred to be alone, but maybe I should just stop wishing for that. I was stuck with Halohead.

My horns were out and my tail flipped lazily in the grass next to me, speckled with yellow pollen. Lance had placed poppies between the feathers of his wings and threaded a few stems around his halo.

I flopped down, sending a cloud of pollen puffing up below me, causing a rather unsophisticated sneezing fit to happen, but Lance didn't seem to notice. He was leaning back, shoulders open, wings spread, face still as he took in the sun. I squinted up at the sky too.

"Mom's watching," Lance chuckled in a low voice and my eyebrows shot upwards.

Propping myself up on my elbows, I looked from Lance to the sky. Missus? I couldn't sense anything different about the atmosphere. I had assumed that maybe there would be like, a golden aura surrounding us or something, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

I turned back to Lance. "How can you tell?"

"I just can," the angel responded airily. His halo glowed gold in the sunlight. After a few moments, he continued, "I think she's happy."

I sent a crooked smile to the sky, a little embarrassed, I guess. Missus was, in every sense, wholly good. Kuron always told me that Missus and Dad used to be together, as in married, but they broke up and created the Midworld to have some space between themselves, but I always thought that that was bullshit.

Besides, they were polar opposites- I couldn't imagine them ever getting along. Not that I'd ever met Missus, I was just assuming. I turned my focus to the ground, the dirt I was sitting on, and wondered if Dad could see me too. Closing my eyes, I relaxed, feeling nothing but soil beneath my palms and petals tickling my skin.

...

Lance wouldn't let me walk back to the trail, telling me that we had already trampled enough flowers, so we flew back, a little less exhilarating this time. I thought about what would happen when we left the festival. What was next on the agenda? Where was Halohead going to take me? He never told me, anyways.

"Do you want to stay here for bit?" Lance asked, breathing heavily as the wind blew his hair back, eyes flicking down to me.

"What's there to do?"

"I dunno..." Lance replied, "Probably some food, if you're hungry."

We decided to stay.

...

"Blegh," Lance scowled, swallowing quickly, "That's nasty, oh my god."

I swished the dandelion wine around my mouth, tasting the gingery, citrus alcohol. "I don't think it's that bad," I commented, putting down my paper cup of faint, yellow wine on the table.

The two of us were sitting at a picnic table, the spring breeze floating over us, in the midst of the poppy festival. The other tables around us, arranged in haphazard rows, were filled with other people, laughing and talking loudly, paper cups like our own filled with different kinds of fresh wines and beers and other alcohols. Pound cake and poppyseed muffins and homemade ramen bowls cluttered the tables, and a huge bonfire was crackling pleasantly in the middle of the clearing.

The sun was just beginning to set, but the trees around us blocked the colors of the sky, instead providing us with a canopy of green above our heads and leaves from last fall underfoot.

We had spent the rest of the afternoon poking around the tents and small set-ups of vendors at the festival, picking up little trinkets and cute toys, eating too much food and getting poppies painted on our faces. Mine was on my cheek. The angel's was right over his eye, covering his eyelid and forehead with intricate orange petals.

Lance sniffed at the cherry wine, cautious, then sipped it carefully. We'd had a lot to drink- even I realized that. It's just that Lance kept on migrating to the food stands and bringing back weird new drinks that I'd never had before, and it reminded me of Kuron and Shiro, who I used to drink with in secret back home. I wasn't much of a beer-drinker, but wine was sophisticated and tasted like flowers, so of course I had to try it in the Midworld.

Somewhere behind us, someone had started playing an uptempo beat on the guitar, exotic and tango-like. Lance's eyes zipped from his wine to the source, blue irises catching the firelight, an excited grin spreading over his face.

"No," I interrupted before he got any ideas.

"Yes," Lance whispered, not looking at me, and sprung from his seat, pausing for a moment to kick off his shoes before leaping towards the fire, finding the beat before flinging himself recklessly into motion.

It took me a few seconds to realize that Halohead was  _dancing_. He was flying. Twirling. His feet never touched the ground for more than a second before he was up again, eyes closed, mouth in a smile of bliss, arms like his wings as he spun and bent.

Soon enough, people took notice. Voices called out and a few people whistled. I stared at the table, embarrassed, eyes wide as I tried to ignore the stupid angel. But the people around us were banging their tables with their fists to the beat, shouting and cheering. I peeked at Lance, whose shirt had ridden up and whose skin was bronze in the firelight. There were shadows by his sloping hip bones and a thin line of dark hair leading up to his navel. I looked away again.

But, of course...

"Keith." I swear his voice was right in my ear, low and soft, but when I jolted to attention, Lance was still dancing in front of the roaring fire. Except now, his eyes were open, and they were trained on me. I shook my head. No fucking way.

"Please?" Halohead's mouth hadn't moved, but it sounded like he was whispering to me, lips to my ear.

"No," I breathed, eyes hard. His feet crunched on the leaves below him, arms over his head.

"Do you trust me?"

I scoffed. "No." I did.

Lance laughed, aloud this time, and before I knew what was happening, his eyes were glowing gold, holding mine with a teasing grin, and I had no control over my body. Literally.

My feet moved on their own, even as my mind screamed at my limbs, and soon, I was in front of Lance.

"You'll never be able to dance right if you look so sour," he said, pausing his dance. The song changed, slowing just a bit to turn Latin- a swinging, upbeat tune. Lance tilted his head to the side, glowing eyes, crinkling at the edges. "Ooh, perfect," he commented.

And then, his hands were holding mine, up by our shoulders, and we were moving together, his eyes never leaving mine. "Leave me alone," I said through gritted teeth. His hands were clammy, like they'd been on the Ferris wheel, and I felt myself recoiling from the physical contact.

"Relax," the angel said, ignoring me. We were so close that I could see tiny freckles sprayed across the bridge of his nose.

"I don't dance," I protested, as Lance dipped backwards, my arms automatically reaching forward to catch him. My fingers enclosed around the warm skin of his hips and I looked away, every cell in my body telling me that the contact was wrong. Lance was too close.

Lance straightened, gold eyes syncing our movements. My feet stepped back, forwards, side to side, mirroring Lance, having no control. "I think you do," Lance shrugged, my arm lifting like a puppet to let him spin under it.

Slowly, as we danced, I let myself let go, little by little, Lance wouldn't let me mess up. He knew what he was doing and what I was doing, he knew how to use my arms to catch him if he fell, he knew how to make me flawless.

I let the music wash over me, settling into the beat. The alcohol set in and my head felt fuzzy and suddenly, somehow, I was enjoying myself. I gripped Lance's hands tighter, pulled him closer, determined. "I told you," Lance whispered. His eyes were blue again. I paused for a millisecond to confirm that I had control over my body, then realized I didn't care.

Maybe it wasn't just the music. Maybe it wasn't just the wine.

Maybe it was the angel, too.


	14. Friendly Competition pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lance and Keith hop on the road again, Lance wants to stop by an arcade to have some fun for a break in the drive... he never knew things were going to get so competitive.

_Lance_

_1̶-̶ ̶S̶e̶e̶ ̶f̶l̶o̶w̶e̶r̶s̶_

_2- Go to a concert_

_3- Go on a spy mission_

_4- Go to an island_

_5- Find a forest_

I sighed, rubbing my temples. It was early the next morning and my hangover was what had woken me up. Keith was asleep on the bed, and I'd already put away my make-shift bed from the floor. I was sitting at the small kitchen table, Keith's list in front of me. I'd kept it so that we could keep track of our adventures and what we had left to do, but I had no idea where we should go next.

On one hand, I could stay in California, finding everything we needed here, but that meant a lot of driving and I'm pretty sure I was mentally-scarred from the incident a few nights ago. I also knew that Keith didn't like big crowds, so maybe California wasn't the best fit for him. But then again, why would he put " _Go to a concert_ " on his list if he didn't like the feeling?

I glanced over at his sleeping form, so quiet that I had to study his back to make sure that he was breathing, and sighed. Last night had ended with us toppling over each other after one too many drinks and way too many dances and calling an Uber to drive us back to the motel. I didn't know how much Keith had to drink, but I hoped, for his sake, that it wasn't too much. I assumed that they didn't get hangovers down in the Underworld.

Looking back at the list, I figured that I could just go in order. That meant... the concert. Luckily, I knew his music taste from our road trip together, so with a few quick Google searches, I'd found us a venue that would suffice, even if it was a good five hours away, which I actually didn't mind. Turning off my phone, I packed up my things, loaded everything into the car that we'd need (the rest of the Oreos, too), and then carefully woke Keith up.

"Go away," he snarled sleepily, eyes squinted.

"You can sleep in the car," I said smoothly, handing Keith a glass of water. He chugged it and I refilled it with a flick of my fingers. He drank slower this time, watching me warily with tired eyes. There were purple semi-circles beneath his eyelids.

"Sleep well?" I asked gently, easing the devil out of bed and onto his feet, holding him by his elbows, before handing him a plate of scrambled eggs.

"Like a baby," Keith retorted snarkily. I rolled my eyes and materialized two Advil on his plate too.

"Okay, Mr. Sunshine. Eat up. We're leaving."

...

Okay, so maybe a devil with a hangover wasn't my  _ideal_  passenger, but at least he was the quiet type of hungover and not the loud, obnoxious kind. Keith had bundled himself up in a ball in the passenger seat, eyes closed, the giant quilt pulled up over his face to shield himself from the sun.

We were about 2 1/2 hours away from Kettleman City, the halfway point between Lancaster and San Jose, but the traffic wasn't too bad so I was able to drive relatively quickly. We weren't in a rush- it was still morning and the concert wasn't until late afternoon, so I had to find something to do to keep us entertained before the show started.

However, me being the amazing, resourceful angel I was, of course, I had already found something in the small city.

Keith slept for most of the drive and I didn't blame him. My alcohol tolerance was pretty high, so I didn't have it very bad, but this was Keith's first time drinking in the Midworld with mortal-esque side effects, so he was probably hit pretty hard.

We arrived in Kettleman City at around 10:45, which was perfect, since the entertainment I had picked out opened at 11:00. I parked easily, as it wasn't too crowded, and turned off the car, sighing.

To be honest, I didn't mind driving so much. I knew that it felt like it was the only thing I had been doing for the past few days, but I was happy to go the long distances- it gave me time to think and relax.

Stretching, I yawned loudly, ruffling my hair and unbuckling my seatbelt. Rolling my head to stretch out my neck, I observed the park in front of us. When I had been looking at reviews earlier online, a lot of people had given the place good marks.

"Adventure Park"

The building was pretty big, and even from here, I could see the bumper boats out in a small pond out back and the looping track for go-karts. The arcade, likely inside, was supposed to be pretty good too. I glanced over at my passenger, who had a hard expression over his face.

I laughed quietly. "Why are you so serious?" I murmured, refraining from reaching out and pressing my thumb between his brows to smooth down his frown. Instead, I gently put my hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

One of his dark eyes opened, meeting mine with an unreadable expression.

"We're halfway there. I thought it would be fun to stop for a few hours and have some fun," I informed him hopefully. Keith looked out the windshield, other eye opening. He unfolded from his position and unbuckled his own seatbelt, interest growing in his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, tossing his blanket into the back seat.

I tried to hide my smile. "Well, I was thinking that we could try go-karts and then laser tag if you wanted."

Keith turned towards me, eyes bright. "I have no idea what either of those are, but they sound sick."

...

"Get your ass back here!" I yelled, yanking hard on my steering wheel and accelerating. The bright blue go-kart purred beneath me, racing forward towards Keith around the track.

"Never!" Keith crowed, his red kart drifting around the sharp turn ahead. He was definitely better on his own kart than an actual car. Gritting my teeth, I floored the gas and spun around the turn, gaining on Keith and his red go-kart.

Keith spared a glance back at me and I grinned maniacally, yanking the steering wheel. My tires screeched as Blue and I skidded closer and closer to the devil.

Suddenly, Keith jerked towards the inside of the track, cutting me off from passing him. "Asshole!" I shouted, driving up next to him. He smirked at me over his shoulder and I could see his small horns on his forehead below his helmet.

Swearing under my breath, I jerked the steering wheel to the right and slammed into Keith's kart. Taken by surprise, he slowed just enough for me to pass him, blowing a kiss as I passed. I heard him growl at me, but I didn't care. I hugged the corners like a pro, but Keith didn't budge from his position exactly a foot behind me.

I guess I got too cocky because the next thing I knew, I was spinning backward and Keith was racing ahead. Sputtering, I realized that he'd clipped the left side of my kart as we went around a turn and rotated me completely.

Fuming, I carefully turned back around and finished the track, pulling into the garage. Keith was waiting for me there, lounging proudly in his kart. He flashed me a lazy smirk, making a point of lifting up the plastic medal he'd won. I rolled my eyes, a little embarrassed. He played dirty, but it was fair and square in my book.

"Who's the bad driver now?" Keith called as I unbuckled my seatbelt, stretching out his long legs before standing and yawning.

"Just you fucking wait, hotshot," I muttered under my breath, "Laser Tag is next."


	15. Friendly Competition pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though Keith kicked Lance's ass in go-karts, laser tag is something that Lance is confident in.

_Lance_

I crouched by the blockade, eyes squinting through the cascade of fluorescence in front of me for movement. Keith would normally have the advantage in a laser tag arena- his eyes naturally adjusted better to the darkness than mine did. But the thing is, Keith was good at close distance combat. I was sure he did more than enough training with the Blade down in the Underworld. I, however, was an excellent shot, though, and lucky for me, this was a distance game.

I heard the sound of blasters to my left and rolled to the other side of the blockade, holding the plastic gun to my chest.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of bright red movement. I swiveled and shot, a beam of blue light emitting from my blaster. The opponent, my enemy, cursed quietly as one of his lights on his vest flickered where I hit him and he ran back from where he came. I sprung back behind the blockade, making my way in short bursts to the center of action.

Movement on my right. I turned quickly, holding up my gun, but relaxed when I realized that she was wearing blue lights. We continued forward together, eyes darting in every direction as we crept towards the main fight.

To my right, a flicker of red. The girl and I both fired, but the blue lasers only hit the wall behind the person- they'd ducked too quickly. The two of us ran to hide behind a wall. I checked my ammo- still pretty good. I was saving it for Keith, though, as he was sure to outlast most of his team.

The girl and I crept forward, watching from a railing down below to the floor beneath us, where the main area was lit up with flashes of blue and red fluorescent beams. I tried to pick out Keith from the fray, but everyone was moving so fast, I couldn't keep track of many.

I gestured to the ramp that led down to the main floor and the girl nodded, big glasses glinting with the lights. She crept down the ramp with her blaster drawn, me on her heels, and we snuck down towards our side, merging with the rest of the blue team. I felt a vibration on my vest and immediately dropped to the ground, rolling behind a barricade.

"Quiznak," I swore quietly- sure enough, I'd been hit. I still had my chest, stomach, and blaster regions unharmed, though, so if I could just make it through to find Keith, I'd be okay.

Someone cheered as a blue fighter to my right was hit in the chest, his last unharmed region, and he sighed, holding up his hands in surrender as he jogged over to the waiting area where several other players lounged, looking out at the game. I looked around for the girl I had been with, but she'd slipped away.

I progressed forward alone, sending shots where I could, thankfully hitting every target. Sliding behind barricades and ducking when necessary, I found myself alone in an open space, ears alert for any footsteps. I heard nothing, so I paused, catching my breath, trying to squint through the bright lights for a flash of red.

Unfortunately, Keith was a lot quieter than I thought he was. My vest vibrated and I bolted for a wall, ducking and rolling as soon as I could. A red laser hit the wall behind me. I grimaced.

"Hello, Halohead!" Keith called in a sultry voice. I could practically hear his damn smirk. I looked down at my vest. Just my chest and my blaster left unharmed. I bit my lip, concentrating for a few seconds. There, we were cloaked from mortal eyes.

I closed my eyes, honing my hearing towards the area behind me. A footstep. A slight inhale. The rustle of his clothes. Bingo. Adjusting my weight in my crouch, I inhaled, paused, and then sprung backward.

I sailed over the wall I had been hiding behind, wings extending in a fraction of a fraction of a second, catching the air to lift my backflip over to the other side of the hexagonal enclosure. I landed gracefully on my feet, wings sweeping up beside me.

Keith whirled, blaster pointed, and, just as I knew he would, started firing again. But I was a force to be reckoned with. I was pure movement, cartwheeling and flipping around the beams, wings shielding my vest from the lasers I couldn't avoid, sending off fire towards Keith as well. In all but a few seconds, I had hit his blaster, his back, and his stomach, so that all that remained was his chest region.

I wanted to save that for last. Keith, frustrated with my hits, growled, firing off more and more shots. I was dancing, running, skipping along the perimeter of the small area, wings lifting me off the ground and somersaulting me around when I needed.

I giggled, unable to help myself, as red lasers cascaded around me, trapping me for only a millisecond before I was off again.

Tired of dancing away, I made a split decision, ricocheting off one of the walls and shooting towards Keith, tackling him around the waist. We landed hard and I heard his breath whoosh out of his lungs as we hit the hard ground.

Groaning, Keith scrambled for his blaster, which was just out of reach. I shook my head, trying to regain my senses. I was practically on top of Keith, our legs tangled, my wings splayed around us. My elbows shook as I held myself up, palms planted firmly on either side of my head. My blaster lay beside my right hand. I didn't reach for it.

Keith was finally able to reach his gun and he jabbed my chest with it, a threatening glare in his eyes. I think he noticed how close we were. "Get off," he grunted.

I cocked my head to the side, sending him an angelic smile. "Make me," I replied sweetly.

His finger pressed the trigger. But of course, as I'd anticipated, he was out of ammo. In the split second before he could reload, I'd grabbed my own blaster and sent a laser to his chest. His vest vibrated, the red lighted flashing, before it went dark.

I'd won.

Keith wiggled out from under me and stood, brushing dirt off of his shirt and vest. I stood too, arms crossed with a gloating grin.

Keith scowled at me. "Oh, shut up, Halohead."


	16. The Concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When keith and Lance finally reach San Jose, lance finally reveals their destination- a concert. Keith is excited, but, at the same time, he has no idea what to expect.

_Keith_

It was another 2 hours before we hit the traffic heading into San Jose. I had no idea where we were going- if this was another side-adventure or something on my list, I'd never know. Damn Halohead was very secretive.

Noon had passed and the sun began to slide down through the left side of the car, hitting Lance's arms and making tiny freckles stand out against his skin. I had an impulse to reach out and touch the tiny dots, maybe rub my thumb against the divot where his thumb met his wrist, reach out and feel the fabric of his t-shirt.

I turned away.

"Maybe we should try driving again," Lance commented absentmindedly. I heard the soft, repetitive click of his turn signal as he switched lanes.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, sneaking a glance at his ski-jump nose. I remembered red blood dripping down his face and made a face. I didn't want that guilt again.

Lance tilted his head to the side and the sun hit his sharp jawline His eyes were bright and I had a flashback of the Ferris Wheel. Were his hands always so soft? I bit my lip. "I mean, you kicked my ass at Go-Karts back there," he said, eyebrows lifted.

I scoffed, "I may have only been here for a week, but I'm pretty sure that regular driving is nothing like Go-Karting."

Lance looked at me with a funny expression. "What?" I asked.

"Just..." he drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel, "I feel like we've been here for so much longer."

I looked out the window, eyebrows drawn. I felt the same way. Lance turned up the music and we didn't speak again until we were driving down the streets of San Jose and I noticed the giant stadium, a sign above it reading, "GORILLAZ".

...

The tension in the air was so tight I felt like I couldn't breathe. Next to me, Lance was still, eyes wide, practically blind in the pitch black. But I could see. In the wide stadium, I saw the countless people standing together, their excitement radiating like heat waves. I saw the shadow of the drum set on the stage.

We waited seconds, and then minutes, in silence. I felt my muscles go tight, my heart racing. And when I heard that beautiful bass beat start in, followed by, "Hello? Is anyone there?" and the crowd exploded in cheers, I knew that Lance was a fucking genius. The call sounded, again and again, the bass growing and growing, louder and louder, until the drums kicked in and smoke flowed off the now illuminated stage, bright green and intense, just as it was supposed to be.

And M1A1 was the opening song.

Followed by only the best.

...

I pushed forward, through the crowd as the opening verse floats over the crowd. 'On Melancholy Hill'. One of my favorites. Lance was clinging to my sleeve as we pushed through the crowd in the pit, shoving forward even if people glared at us or pushed us back. It was my one opportunity. My one shot at being able to see one of my favorite bands in person before I'd be forced to listen to it on my laptop back home.

We were so close to the front, I felt the vibration of the bass in my chest and I couldn't hear myself think. But it didn't matter because somehow, I was singing along. And the concert was nothing like I thought it would be but, at the same time, it was exactly the way it should be- the lights, the stage, the people.

The lyrics seeped into my brain like a tattoo and I felt myself still. I reached up to my face and found tears. Closing my eyes, I sunk to the ground, the legs of the people around me pushing closer and closer, pressing against my sides, suffocating me. I could stand up but I didn't. I didn't know what was happening.

But suddenly, golden eyes were in front of me and Lance's hands were cupping my cheeks. His whisper was so loud in my ears that it drowned out the music, but his lips hadn't moved. I was looking at his lips. I was squatting in the pit of a Gorillaz concert and I was looking at Lance's lips. And again, he whispered in my head, "Are you okay?"

And everything came crashing back like a wave at the ocean in Seattle, waking me up from my trace. I reached forward and slid my hand up the back of Lance's neck, curling my fingers up around his soft, brown hair. It slid around my knuckles and I let out a short breath, smiling a little at Lance, whose eyes were so gold they looked like molten sunshine on his face.

I could hear my blood rushing in my ears and my hands got slick with the sweat on Lance's warm skin.

"Yeah," I whispered back. I pulled Lance up with me as I stood, singing the lyrics as loud as I could, him beside me.

...

My heart was still racing from the concert and my ears were ringing as we drove out of the parking lot. It was nearing midnight, but the city of San Jose seemed more alive than ever. Bright, flashing, neon lights left imprints on my eyelids when I blinked. Lance looked tired, but his eyes were bright as well as he looked over the city.

"I don't come around here much," he said absently, peering up at a particularly bright bar.

I laughed, the adrenaline high still coursing and putting me in an uncharacteristically giddy mood. "Really? You're not a party boy?"

Lance rolled his eyes, chuckling too, "Nah, not really. I mean, maybe the occasional one, but this is a  _lot,_  if you know what I mean."

My smile stayed on as we passed through the busiest part of the city, but I felt exhaustion begin to set in as we began to turn onto the quieter streets lined with offices and small buildings. Lance pulled smoothly into the hotel drop off, got out of the car to grab out things, and then smoothly tossed the keys to the valet as he headed inside, me following behind like a tired puppy.

He spoke in a low, fast voice to the receptionist, watching me with wary eyes as my knees wobbled from fatigue. I made a pass for one of the bags, planning on grabbing it to help him, but he brushed my hands away, leading me to the elevators. We zipped upwards at a speed that unsettled my stomach, then wobbled down the hallway like two zombies.

I remembered Lance unlocking the door, then flopping onto a bed that smelled like laundry detergent before blacking out.

...

I was startled away by our door banging open and the lights being flipped on. Squinting, I lifted myself up, propped up on my elbows, blinking wildly as my eyes adjusted. I looked panickedly over at Lance, who looked just as bewildered as I felt. I saw his eyes go gold, focusing on the short figure who now stood in the middle of our room.

Her hair was chopped short and her circular glasses glinted in the light, one hand securely on her belt where I could clearly see a taser, the other pointing at the two of us. She looked over at Lance and scowled.

"Don't try any of your 'wicca wicca woo' bullshit on me, asshole. I've been trained for this. Sergeant Pidge Gunderson, Stationary Angel Legion, first battalion. Welcome to Earth. Lance, Keith- we've been expecting you."


	17. intermission 'n q&a

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is just a quick qna I wanted to add in with a few other details about the other logistics of this fic, plus a few concept scenes haha

Hey guys! It's me, Cal. So we're nearing the halfway point of Halo 'n Horns (or we've already passed it, I'm not sure) and I thought that an intermission chapter to clear a few things up and answer your questions would be a good idea. I did this in my last book (Swim With Me?) and people seemed to enjoy it. So here goes.

First off, I'm going to answer a few questions that you guys had that you left in the comments of last chapter on wattpad.

**@PurpleSloth33 : **How do you come up with such amazing ideas, (do the** y come to you in dreams, etc...)? And what is your favorite character?**

First off, thank you so much for saying that <3\. My ideas usually come from fanart, actually haha. For Beat Drop, I saw a small comic about Keith working in a flowershop, talking about the different people who came into the shop, etc., and I thought 'wow, I could make a story about this'. For Swim With Me?, it was more of me seeing lots of Mer!Klance fanart. I really wanted to make something out of it, but it took a lot more time for me because there are a lot of other Mer!Klance stories out there and I didn't want to plagiarize or anything. For HnH, it was different, though. When I first came up with the idea for a Devil x Angel story, it was when I was writing Swim With Me?. I hadn't originally planned on it being a Klance fic at all, maybe just a oneshot, but that idea came to me while I was thinking about comparisons I could use in stories (e.g. Light and Dark, Fire and Water, etc.)

And my favorite character...? Oof, that's tough. In Voltron, it would definitely be Lance. I relate the most to him and I love his character. I really hope to see a good Lance arc in Season 8- the poor bean deserves some love haha. In general, though, I'd have to say there are a bunch of characters from different stories that I admire. Namely all of the characters from my favorite book, Six of Crows, and Paelen from the Pegasus series (it's a little lame, I know, but I love it).

@ErenYeager007 :  **Are you ever going to include a significant other for Pidge? Like anyone or an OC?**

Hmmm... I really haven't thought about it yet. We still have yet to meet a lot of the other characters I have planned, including the rest of the paladins, but now that I think about it, I might actually have someone in mind.

Speaking of which, here are the characters that are definitely going to make an appearance:

Hunk, Shay, Lotor, the Generals, Coran (I hope), Rover, a scene with Shiro, Kuron, Matt, and Adam all together, and hopefully some others that I can't promise yet. Let me know if I'm missing anyone haha.

@Boatymc : **Is it day or night where you are?**

I live on the East Coast, so I go by EST. At this very moment, it is 5:43PM for me :) I usually update at night, though.

@PotatoHeart42 :  **How long have you been in the Voltron fandom?**

Since Season 1! An old friend of mine told me about it when it first came out and I've been watching since :) It's been so amazing binging every season since :)

 @idkwatfandomimin :  **What is your favorite meme? Also, do you have a favorite fanart picture of Klance? (Or just a funny picture from Voltron in general)**

My favorite meme... hnnnng that's so hard haha. I love the cosmic brain meme but I don't really mind lol. I watch a lot of content from Comment Awards on Youtube for my meme intake lmao.

And omg that's such a hard question. I legit have folders on my instagram saved for Klance fanart lmao. But if I were to pick one single klance pic...

 

**[** _https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.531351566.4468/flat,1000x1000,075,f.u1.jpg_ **]**

I adore onesmolhurt's art style ugh it gives me chills.

@ISayVolYouSay :  **Will we meet all the characters? Will the characters meet each other?**

So this question goes in a little bit more depth, I guess. Basically, I can try to include as many characters as I'm able who are fitting to the scenes, but the sad part is, because of the way that the plot is set up, we won't be with them for long. I intentionally had it this way so that I could show how different people and experiences that Lance and Keith encounter present new obstacles and personalities that the two of them can interact with, a little like putting the pair in a new environment to see how they respond. I want them to explore and discover each other with the help of others along the way. Hopefully, I achieve this.

In terms of the characters meeting each other, yes and no. I have a few things planned so far but nothing is really set in stone. But I can promise you that you will get a reunion between the Twins and Adam and Matt, as well as their full backstory. I may have a chapter or two dedicated to their stories, I'm not sure yet, though. I guess we'll see ;)

@Hales002 :  **How are you doing?**

I know this isn't really a question about the story, but I'm gonna answer it here anyways lolol. If I'm being completely honest, I'm really stressed. I feel like there's a lot going on right now in my life and, not to sound cheesy or cliche or anything, but writing is kind of like my anchor. Whenever I'm mad or upset or way stressed out, I take a step back and try to write. It instantly calms me down, so thank you guys for being there to give me something to look forward to when I publish my works :) 

And those are all the questions I got :)) if you have any more, feel free to slap 'em here! Like I said, I'll add them into the a/n next chapter. I hope I answered these questions well, though!

Alriiighty now to some more serious topics. 

**where's the klance?**

Sooo I've been asked this a couple times, not only in this book, but my other two klance fics too. I'm not targetting anyone who's asked this- I respect you and your question, but I feel like it's something I should probably address.

First! I try my best to make my fics as realistic as possible in terms of relationships. So far, Keith and Lance have only known each other for all but a few weeks. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think that two people can fall in love and be in a functional relationship that quickly. Not to mention, Keith is literally, biologically unable to love. Remember, he's a devil. 

However, this  _is_  a Klance fic, yes. So there  _will_  be klance. It just takes time, like any relationship. I've been trying to add in as much realistic fluff and whatnot I can to build the relationship up more and more, but the thing is, it takes time.

I am the kind of author (and my readers who have read my other books, namely SWM? know my rant about this in that intermission too) who creates slow burn relationships. I want the characters to be pining, wanting, whatever-ing for each other so that the chemistry really bUILDS before I finally snap them together like magnets. It's just how I work, and I hope that's okay. 

To quote the intermission from swm?: "The two characters have to be stable with themselves, and stable as a unit together, before they try to pursue a romantic relationship. I want to stay true to these characters as much as I can, so that means letting them grow together, learn from each other, have their moments to lean on each other."

BUT

in spite of all that, I understand the people who just want klance. period. no wait. 

So... I've been thinking... what if I did a book of oneshots after I finish H'nH? I may be getting a writing job in December, so I may not have as much time to write as I wish I could, but I would be willing to make a oneshot book for y'all if you'd want and read it.

Either that or another story that I have in mind (klance or otherwise). Lemme know.

Anyways, all in all, Klance is coming. You just gotta wait a little bit. 

**and here are some concept quotes for you that I've written which may or may not end up in the story.**

Adam, the lifesaver, was the one to react first. He held a hand out to Shiro, warm and inviting. His halo spun wildly, the opposite of his calm demeanor. The white-haired twin looked from Adam's hand to his face and back again before reaching out as well and clasping his hand. A bolt of electricity shot out from Adam's halo, hitting the ground with a crackle. Shiro's tail flipped side to side as he held Adam's strong gaze. 

I looked at Matt expectantly. Kuron, the black-haired twin, was regarding my brother carefully, his glowing yellow eyes trained on him. Matt held out his own hand, small and shaking, try as he might to be tough, and Kuron stared at it for a few moments before shaking Matt's hand, holding on longer than he should have.   **  
**

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kuron purred, and Matt visibly shuddered, his eyes unreadable.

**...**

Sometime in the night, I heard Lance mumbling. At first, I ignored it, thinking that he was just talking in his sleep. But then he was crying out, whimpering. Sitting up, I turned to look for him, searching blindly in the dark while my eyes adjusted. My hand hit his shoulder. He woke up, gasping. My eyes found his shape and his halo, which glowed slightly as it wobbled around his head. 

"Lance?" I asked, voice groggy. "Are you okay?" 

Lance tried to slow his breathing. He didn't reply. I heard his heartbeat in my head, its rapid beat like a drum. I knew he wasn't okay.

"C'mere," I muttered, laying back down. I didn't know what I was offering. Blindly, he patted the floor, trying to find me. Reaching my mattress, I watched him crawl on hands and knees to me, still shaking. 

"You sure?" he asked. His voice was high and it quivered with his fear.

"Yeah." I felt him lift the blankets and slide beneath them. The mattress was so small, he had to press against my back as he settled down beside me. I lay on my side, facing away from him, and tried not to think about what was happening. I felt his warmth on my back. 

It was hard to fall asleep.

**...**

My Energy had come back. Either Dad had let it return or I had simply called it back myself, it swirled around me like black, tangible wind, bending with my will.

"I want to go home!" Energy crashed in. 

**...**

I slipped my hand into his. He glanced up at me, but stayed silent. He didn't grasp my hand in return, but he didn't pull away either. 

 **...**  

and that's it, I think haha. thank you for reading!


	18. Stationary Angel Legion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance get to peak into the life of Pidge, Lance's sister and fellow angel, who may or may not be terrifying when angered. shhh

_Lance_

Pidge Gunderson of the Stationary Angel Legion was probably the most intimidating angel I'd ever seen. As we sat across from her in the sleek, black limo that had been waiting for us outside of the hotel, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I knew Pidge personally- she was Matt's twin sister and my own sibling as well, but the SAL was 'stationary' for a reason- angels who were chosen for the force grew up on Earth.

She and Matt talked often on the phone or through the windows angels above used to look down at the Midworld, but didn't see each other in person unless Matt came down to the Midworld himself. And even  _that_ was seldom, as the Midworld held unpleasant memories for Matt of Kuron. But the Gundersons still stayed in contact as much as they could.

Pidge eyed me warily as we sped along the highway, heading to somewhere unknown but likely to the SAL HQ. Suddenly, I remembered what had been nagging me since Pidge had shown up and leaned forward suddenly.

"That was you!" I blurted, alarming Keith beside me. Pidge raised her eyebrow.

"What?"

"At laser tag! That was you, wasn't it?"

I recalled the day before, slipping through the arena with the stranger beside me, her circular glass glinting in the bursts of red and blue lights. Now, those same glasses were perched on Pidge's nose as she gazed at me skeptically.

She smiled slightly, "Oh, yeah. I had to make sure it was actually you- those stunts that you pulled during your little one-on-one fight in the arena were very impressive, Lance- have you been training?"

I looked at Pidge sheepishly and replied, "Yeah, with Matt and Adam."

Pidge's cool demeanor slipped away at the sound of her brother's name. As we raced along the interstate, PIdge and I were able to sink into a comfortable conversation about Keith's and my journies on the Midworld. The brunette was surprised to hear how much we had been traveling.

"Of course, we've been keeping an eye on Keith since he showed up, just in case anything went wrong, but it's been hard keeping track of you."

I felt a sting at the remark- did Mother not trust me to keep Keith in check? So she'd sent the SAL after us to make sure I did a good job? I bit my lip, wounded.

Pidge went on, "We were initially going to get into contact with you a few days ago, but we didn't want to interrupt anything until we were sure it was you. You've grown a lot since I last saw you, Lance."

I smiled half-heartedly. It was true- the last time I'd seen Pidge was several thousand years ago when Matt had returned from the Midworld with Adam, their hearts in pieces. Pidge had taken leave from the SAL to comfort her brother, and in that time, we'd spent a lot of time together.

Back then, Pidge had long hair that trailed down her back in waves and hadn't needed glasses. Now, she'd chopped off her long locks and had glasses which I could only guess were the result of too many hours in front of a bright computer, coding and hacking and reading.

Pidge and Matt had always been tech geniuses, impressing our siblings and even Mom with their talents, but while Matt had stayed up in the Upperworld to look down at the Midworld, Pidge had chosen that her talents were needed elsewhere, namely the SAL, where she was apparently now a sergeant in the first battalion.

I was proud of my sister, but I still had so many questions for her. "Well, what do you need us for? Why are we being kidnapped?" I joked, but I couldn't help but have an edge of anxiety in my voice. Was Mom disappointed in me? Had I done something wrong with Keith?

I glanced over at my devil, who'd been silent the whole ride. I could see how tired he was, his eyes straining to stay open. I knocked my knee against him gently and he looked at me, dark eyes heavy-lidded and groggy. Silently, I patted my shoulder, tipping my head away from him in an invitation.

I could see him hesitate for a few seconds, then slide closer to me to put his head on my shoulder. I bit my lip to keep from giggling as his soft hair tickled my neck. Within seconds, I heard his breathing slow as sleep took over him.

I looked up at Pidge, who eyed me suggestively. "No," I whispered incredulously at what she was implying. "No, he's just tired. Nothing more than that."

"Right," Pidge whispered back, leaning back in her seat and cocking her head to the side, "Right, you're just friends. I can feel the tension from here." Before I could reply, she'd closed her eyes. She hadn't answered my question, either.

I looked down at Keith on my shoulder. "Just friends, right?" I breathed, letting my cheek fall to rest against the top of the devil's head.

...

I woke up slowly, unaware. Sitting up in the soft bed I was lying in, I looked around, stretching. My bag was placed on a chair across the room from the bed and there were no windows in the room. Nervous, I slipped out of the sterile, white bed, and shivered at how cold the tile floor was as I stepped down. As I stood, the room spun and I had to sit back down.

Taking a closer look at the room around me, I realized that it was pretty bare. There was the chair and the bed, a nightstand beside me, a closet with its doors open, and a doorway that led into a small bathroom.

Looking down at myself, I realized that I'd been undressed, and was now wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of scrub pants. Standing again, I made my way to the sink in the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I cringed. I was a mess- hair sticking up every which way, chapped lips, bloodshot eyes.

Sighing, I pushed a little Energy into my face and watched as my lips smoothed out and the blood vessels in my eyes faded back. My hair lay a bit more flat, too. Now, about these clothes...

In seconds, I'd ditched the scrubs and instead wore a baseball tee and classic Adidas sweats. I glanced up at my halo in the mirror and gave it a playful flick. As if flustered, it wobbled before quickly righting itself. I filled my palms with water from the sink repeatedly, feeling the water begin to work itself into my dehydrated system, then turning off the tap and walking to the door of my room.

For a split second, panic took hold of my senses as I realized that I could have possibly been locked in, that maybe the SAL wasn't my friend, but the panic dissipated as the door handle turned cleanly, admitting me outside.

As I peeked outside, I realized that my room was situated in the middle of a long hallway. The tiles of the floor were the same as those in my room and it gave the whole place the feel of a mental ward. I looked both ways, searching for another person, but when I didn't see anyone, I turned left down the hallway.

Doors lined the hallway, identical to my own, but none of them were unlocked. At the end of the hall, there was a T-intersection. To the left, another hallway, to the right, a stairwell. I took the stairs.

Just as I was beginning to think that maybe this was a dream, I heard muffled noises coming from the floor beneath me. Frowning, I hurried down the stairs a flight, then pushed through the door to a new room.

I entered what seemed to be a cafeteria, but the sheer mass of Energetic tension in the room was enough to make me stumble back. All around me, the air popped and crackled with electricity from angelic Energy, a sure sign that something was wrong.

The room was as standard as you could get, neat rows of tables and benches with aisles for people to walk through, an open area off to the side where I could smell food. But the most shocking part of the room was the group of angels in the center forming a large circle. They were shouting over each other, but a single syllable kept ringing out, over and over again.

"Lance!"

My panic from before hit me like a truck when I heard the distress in Keith's voice. "Keith!" I yelled, sprinting through the cafeteria to get to the group of angels. Some of them turned, their giant wings twitching, an odd look on their faces as I rushed forward. I lept over a table and shoved through the crowd, my heart pounding in my chest as my own wings escaped from my back, the sound of ripping fabric ceasing the shouts of the angels.

"Lance!" The sound tore at my heart.

In the middle of the circle of angels crouched Keith, terrified. As soon as I reached him, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, wrapping my wings around us as well. I felt the Energetic tension lessen as the angels stopped concentrating on my devil.

Keith was shaking as I held him, wheezing and coughing as he clutched my shirt.

I turned to the closest angel, eyes murderous. The angel stepped back, hands up in surrender. "What the hell were you doing to him?" I snarled, holding Keith to my chest.

"He went berserk!" the angel, a tall, stocky young man replied, his tawny feathers quivering. "As soon as he woke up, he worked himself up and wouldn't calm down! We had to keep him from hurting anyone!"

"Why didn't someone come get me?" I demanded. The angel shrugged helplessly. The other angels in the group looked equally as clueless. Turning back to Keith, I tented my wings around us and pulled back slightly, looking him in the face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to hide my anxiety.

The whites of his eyes were black and his horns protruded from his forehead as he looked up at me. "I don't know what happened. I didn't know where you were. I thought they took you..." he looked away, "or something."

I brought my hands up to his face and cupped his cheeks in my palms. He flinched but didn't pull away.

"There's no prison that could hold me so that I couldn't get to you," I said boldly, "I will  _always_  come back." I smiled a little, "What kind of angel guide would I be if I couldn't even guide you?"

Keith's eyes went wide. His hair was a mess and he was wearing the same scrubs I had been dressed in. His eyes had settled back to normal and I watched his horns retract, the skin of his face smoothing over where they had been.

He nodded once and I stepped back, pulling my wings back in. The crowd of angels had somewhat dissipated, but at that moment, a door on the far wall slammed open and a furious-looking Pidge stormed through, her foggy grey wings opened threateningly. Her focus was on the cadets around Keith and me.

"Oh dear," someone squeaked.


	19. Headquarters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance get a special tour from Pidge of the SAL HQ and meet Lance's uncle...

_Keith_

After Pidge had yelled at all of the cadets (with many expletives), she'd turned towards us with a sweet smile and offered us a tour of the SAL HQ. Lance and I had nearly choked at how quickly her demeanor changed and I'd whispered to him to make sure I always stayed on her good side.

It turned out that Lance and I had been sleeping in the hospital quarters of the SAL on the top floor, but that the actual headquarters were in the lower levels. Pidge explained that, in the six-story building, the 1st floor was used for meetings and outside interaction, the 2nd floor was used for personnel quarters and the 3rd and 4th for training. Then, the 5th for recreation and eating, and the 6th for the hospital. However, Pidge showed us the basement first.

"This is where the real magic happens," she said proudly as we stepped off the elevator. As our eyes adjusted, I realized that the basement was actually much bigger than any of the other floors. Tables upon tables of computers and electrical equipment took up most of the room, with angels sitting in front of the screens, furiously typing away or scrolling through text or watching CCTVs. The whole room thrummed with electricity, and not the angelic kind.

Though the angel's halos spun furiously as they worked, none of the beings seemed to be using their Energy while they worked. I wanted to ask why, but I didn't have the nerve to. I also had begun to notice that each angel had a different set of wings.

Lance's were so cliche, I thought that they had been the uniform shape, but as I walked past the angels working, I realized that each set was different from the next. While Lance's were classic white, like the kind you see on Catholic angels, I saw colors ranging from black to brown to orange, even light pink, all with different patterns. And all the shapes were different too. Lance's were large and curved at the top with thick, fluffy feathers, but I passed angels with two sets of long, slim wings, or tiny cherubic sets that fluttered slightly.

Taking my eyes off the feathers, I focused instead on the back of Lance's head as we walked through the aisles of angels. I thought back to when he'd rushed through the crowd of cadets, wings sweeping up around us, his arms crushing me to his chest.

I had been so vulnerable and I hated the feeling of being saved, but at the same time, I could still feel his arms around me. I could still feel his morning breath on his face as his worried eyes checked my face. I could still feel his palms on my cheeks as he told me he'd always come back.

Then, I had only slightly been aware that physical contact usually made me feel sick. Then, I hadn't cared about how close we'd been, our faces inches apart. Then, I'd been starstruck.

I looked away, ashamed. What was I thinking? What the hell was I even doing? Father didn't send me up here to get all cuddly with an angel. He sent me up here so I could get my 'teenage angst' out of my system or some bullshit.

Plus...

I didn't even have the genetic capacity to...  _love_? What did that word even mean? It sounded slimy to me, like a smothering hug, but maybe that was just the internalized message from my father.

_"I love you, Daddy!" I'd told him happily at the age of 5._

_He'd scowled. "You don't love me, Keith. You cannot love."_

Lance was the complete opposite of me, in every way possible, and maybe I envied him for that.

Or maybe I admired him.

Pidge's voice startled me from my thoughts. "Lance, this is Rover."

I watched Pidge loop her arms loosely around the young man's neck, resting her head on his shoulder. The angel, with a shock of electric teal hair and triangular glasses, held out a hand for Lance to shake. I stayed behind Lance and looked over his shoulder at Rover's computer screen.

Green code stood out against a black screen- he was hacking. Pidge smiled at the man happily, kissing his cheek before turning back to Lance to lead up deeper into the alcove of the basement of the SAL HQ. "He's a genius," she stage-whispered to Lance and me, smiling happily.

I wondered if Rover knew how scary Pidge had been upstairs with the cadets. I wondered what it would feel like to kiss Lance's cheek. I wondered what it would feel like to disappoint my father.

Finally, Pidge reached a door on the wall and opened it, leading us into a small office space. Inside, a red-headed man sat in a black office chair, a smile on his face greeting us as he stood.

"Hello, young ones. How are you today? I was so sorry to hear about what happened to you earlier, please don't base your opinion of the Legion on your first impression. I can assure you, we are much more than a few cadets failing to do the right thing."

The man held his hands out to me first, which took me off guard, but his eyes were so kind that I almost felt happy to shake his hand. "My name is Coran, and I'm the man in charge of this headquarters."

"It's nice to see you, Uncle Coran," Lance said respectfully when he shook the man's hand. Uncle? So this man was the Missus' brother?

Coran gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk and Lance and I sat, Pidge moving back to stand by the door.

"So, boys, how have your adventures here on the Midworld been? Good, I hope?"

And just like that, Lance launched into the story of our travels. Flying from New Hampshire to Seattle, seeing the beach and the Arboretum, the Ferris wheel, my driving incident, the flower festival, laser tag and go-karting, and then the concert. As I listened to Lance's rendition of our journey, I realized just how much we'd packed into so little time.

Lance pulled a piece of paper, folded, out from his bag, showing it to Coran. I realized that it was The Plan that I'd made for him. The first two objectives were neatly crossed out.

Coran read over the other three, then looked at me with a puzzled look. "'Go on a spy mission', 'Go to an Island', 'Find a forest'." For some reason, I felt embarrassed.

As if sensing my discomfort, Coran leaned forward. "Three very interesting hopes, Mr. Keith. Very noble."

I swallowed, unsure of what to say. Luckily, Lance swooped in with his own interrogation. "Coran, why are we here?" I was wondering the same thing, to be honest.

The man laced his hands behind his head, reclining in his chair. "Your mother contacted me." I glanced at the angel behind me, watching his smile droop. "She wanted me to check in on you, Lance. You and Keith are young, wild, and, let's face it, very different."

I saw Lance's eyes well up with tears. I didn't know what he was sad about, but I didn't want to ask. "She's worried about you, Lance. You know, Matt and Adam were a lot older than you when they guided Shiro and Kuron."

I looked up at Coran. I knew very little about those two angels. All I knew was that whenever Shiro and Kuron talked about them, it was in hushed voices. I made a mental note to ask Lance about it later.

"She just wanted me to bring you in for a few days in case something bad was happening or you needed a place to stay, just so that you could plan your next moves without being stressed about everything else." Coran reached across his desk to pat Lance on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Lance. She's not mad."

Lance looked up at Coran with a confused expression. "So... she's not assigning a new angel to Keith?" His tears fell down his cheeks, but his eyes were hopeful.

Coran barked a laugh, smiling genuinely at Lance. I looked at him again. Was that really what he'd been worried about? I looked over my shoulder at Pidge, who was looking at Lance sympathetically. I thought about having her as a guide, then gulped. She'd kick my ass.

I pressed my knee against Lance's and managed to smile at him too. He grinned tearily at me, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Coran handed The Plan back to me and I shoved it into my pocket, still a little embarrassed. "So, Lance, do you have a plan? What's your next move?"

Lance composed himself, sniffing a few times before continuing. "Well, I usually don't tell Keith where we're going until he can figure it out himself, but the next task on the list is a little bit tricky. I've been thinking about how I'd ever be able to bring him on a  _spy mission_  without using a crap ton of Energy. The other two I have planned out, but I can't tell you about them now, with him," Lance shot me a grin.

Coran grinned, "Well..." he glanced up at Pidge, an odd, excited look falling over his face, "We might be able to help you."


	20. The Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith, lance, pidge, and rover find themselves in a sticky situation when they split up at Zarkon Co. on their mission

_Lance_

I wouldn't say that I was jealous of Keith, per se. I was just slightly irritated that he could see so well in the dark. I almost wanted to make a jab at him about it, but in the situation, it was probably inappropriate.

As Keith, Pidge, Rover, and I snuck along the outside edge of the building we were about to infiltrate, I felt my nerves acting up. I'd only ever been on a real mission like this on the Midworld once before, and even then, I'd been the driver. I'd never attempted something like this before.

When Coran had told us about the mission, it had been so convenient that I thought he was lying. But, as it turned out, they were planning on carrying out the mission anyway, regardless of Keith's and my presence. Why they were letting us go along, with no training, I had no idea.

But I trusted my uncle and I knew he wouldn't put us into danger if he didn't think we were ready for it.

The mission had seemed simple when he'd explained it, but now, with the tranquilizer dart gun in my hands, safety off, the weight of the situation and the probability of something going wrong was almost enough to give me a panic attack.

The plan was to bring down an underground weapons dealer, going by the company name Zarkon. The leader of the operation, Lotor, was a renowned marksman in the underground network, not to mention his four generals, who were especially brutal.

Rover had gathered as much as he could about the mission before we executed it, but even he, a hacking genius like Pidge, was unable to get much of the information on the building or the personnel inside. It seemed like they had hackers as well.

Our job was to get into the building and take Lotor (and the generals, if we could) back to HQ. At first, I had been skeptical of Rover, as he looked like he was more of a 'brains, not brawn' kind of guy, but Pidge seemed confident in his abilities, so I didn't argue. Keith was, no doubt, in battle mode, his eyes hard and determined. He seemed focused, like a lion on a hunt, as he led us forward.

Pidge, as well, was in her own mode, aiming her tranquilizer at anything that made a sound. I was openly glad that we were only using tranquilizers- I never wanted to have to actually hurt anyone. The whole mission seemed so dark and uncertain, but I knew that I had to do it for Keith.

Rover had already disabled all of the CCTVs along the property of the building, but that only gave us a short window of time before Zarkon's tech team could get past the block and see us. Rover had said that it was 15 minutes, tops.

As we edged around the building to the main entrance, Keith held up his hand, signaling for us to stop. I felt my nerves set in. This was it. No backing out now.

Keith swooped forward and I heard him fire off two darts. Seconds later, we heard the thump of two bodies falling over. We proceeded. I made sure to check the pulses of the two men who had been guarding the doors to the large brick building, sending a silent apology up to Mother. I knew that she wouldn't be angry- this was, after all, for the good of the world and I was with other angels, but it still felt wrong.

With the  _zip_  of another dart, the receptionist was down too. I averted my eyes. We shuffled down through the dark hallways, opting for the elevator instead of the stairwell. Pidge bounced on the balls of her feet as we waited for the elevator to arrive at the bottom floor.

We didn't know which floor the Generals and Lotor would be on, but we didn't have enough time to check every floor of the facility. Our only confidence was that we knew that they were in the building, as their cars were still in the parking garage.

Finally, the elevator arrived with a quiet  _ding_  and we crammed inside, pushing buttons for the first four floors of the facility. This was where we would split up. I bit the inside of my cheek anxiously as the elevator ascended. The plan was that each of us would check a floor by ourselves. If we found the Generals and/or Lotor, we would alert everyone else with the walkie-talkies we all carried and try to stay out of sight until everyone could arrive. Then, we'd reaccess and take on the situation as a group.

We arrived on the first floor. Rover squeezed Pidge's hand once, shot Keith and I a rueful smile, then stepped out of the elevator. The doors closed behind him.

Again, we ascended. Pidge clapped me on the back, nodded at Keith, and then headed out as well. I felt my heartbeat begin to accelerate. The doors shut again. Keith turned towards me.

"You scared?" he asked.

"No," I managed to choke out. Keith wasn't fooled. He offered me a crooked smile, small but sweet. I couldn't bring myself to smile back, but I appreciated it anyway. The elevator dinged. Keith's stop.

He didn't move as the doors opened, and, for a second, I thought that I had gotten the plans mixed up and it was actually  _my_  stop, but then Keith stepped forward, tranquilizer to his chest, a determined, excited expression on his face.

The doors closed before I could say good luck.

And then I was alone. The safe confines of the elevator suddenly seemed like something out of a horror story. I felt my hands shaking and beginning to sweat up, but I tried to put on a brave face. For Keith. This whole thing was for Keith. I wouldn't let him down by failing to complete the mission.

The elevator slowed, then stopped on level four. I gritted my teeth, then stepped out as soon as the doors opened. The hallway I stepped out into was illuminated by mini chandeliers every few feet on the high ceiling. The floor was padded in a rich, red carpet, and the doors on the sides of the hall were a deep brown.

If I hadn't known better, I would've thought that I was in an expensive hotel. I tuned into my surroundings, listening for heartbeats or signs of life. Below me, I could feel the slight darkness to Keith's aura and it calmed me a little.

But then, dread washed over my system as a clear, healthy heartbeat, then another, then another, began to pulse in my head. 3 heartbeats on my floor. Where were the other two? It didn't matter. I fumbled for my walkie-talkie that had been clipped to my belt, and put it to my lips, managing to say, "I'm-" before someone yanked me backward.


	21. Allies & Enemies pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith meets lotor, a literal handsome devil

_Keith_

"I'm-"

I glanced down at my walkie-talkie, frowning. Lance? Or just static?

"Lance?" I spoke into the black box.

No reply. I backpedaled down the hallway, eyes still alert, until I reached the elevator. Slamming my fist into the elevator button by the door, I waited anxiously. I had been sure that that had been Lance's voice on the walkie, but he wouldn't just blurt something like that.

The elevators opened with a ding, and I was surprised to see Pidge already standing inside, her arms crossed over her chest, tranquilizer slung over her back.

I stepped inside quickly as the doors shut. "What's going on?" I asked, noticing Rover's absence.

"We're going up. Rover already took the stairs down to secure us some more time. I'd been tuned into Lance's heart rate- it jumped very quickly right after he called to us. Either he's being a little shit and messing around, or the Generals and Lotor are up on that top floor."

I nodded tersely. Just hours earlier, it felt like Lance had been the one saving me. But now, as the elevator whooshed up a level, I felt like I was going to have to be the one saving him. Or, it was what Pidge had said, and the idiot was just caught off guard by something useless.

As I tried to listen in too, hoping that I might catch a hint of Lance's heartbeat, the classical music that played over the speakers in the elevator kept catching me off guard. Pidge seemed to be having a similar problem. I gritted my teeth as the fast-paced cello notes invaded my head.

With a ping, the elevator stopped. Pidge sunk into a crouch, and I followed in suit. As the doors slid open, I kept my finger on the trigger, eyes squinted. But, to my surprise, no one was waiting for us on the other side of the doors. Pidge stayed still for a few moments before rising, still on guard. She exited first.

I realized that the classical music was now playing in the hallway too, and it kept me from being able to use my heightened senses. "Shit, can Bach calm down a little?" I grumbled.

Pidge made a strangled attempt at a chuckle.

The hallway we slowly walked down was unnaturally lavish. On my floor below it, the ground had been rough, scratched wooden boards and pale walls. Up here, though, I felt like I was back at one of the fancy hotels Lance and I had stayed in.

The hallway wasn't very long, with a total of ten doors, five on each side. I glanced at one of the plaques on the door closest to me. 'Conference Room 2'. So these were where the deals were made, I guessed. Rover never told us how large the company had extended, but if it had this kind of grandeur for the meetings, it had to be pretty large.

I almost felt clumsy with the gun in my hands- I was fine with combat, but, especially since Lance kicking my ass in laser tag, I realized that I should probably stick with one-on-one contact fighting.

Pidge signaled for us to keep moving and I saw her eyes focused on the last door on the left in the hallway. It was open just a crack, unlike every other door. I had a feeling that, if the Generals and Lotor were really in here, they'd be in that one.

Pidge flattened herself against the left side of the hallway, so I pressed my back against the right side. Together, we moved forward.

With every step we took, it seemed like the classical music got louder and louder. My head began to throb to the pulse of the beat and I shook my head wildly, as if to dislodge the migraine. I had to stay sharp.

As we approached the doorway, I started to hear snippets of conversation coming from inside the room.

"... our guests."

"They actually..."

"...stand a chance."

A look from Pidge confirmed that she was hearing them too. We were now right next to the door and I noticed that the music was definitely louder in the room. Pidge and I made eye contact. She pointed at the door, then at me, then counted down on her fingers.

Three,

Two,

One.

Pidge kicked the door open with a slam. Immediately, I positioned myself in the doorway, tranquilizer raised.

The conference room wasn't that big, now that I actually saw it. There was a wide, long table that ran down the center of the room that took up most of the floor-space, a row of office chairs along each side, and then a smart board on the right wall.

The wall I faced from the doorway was made completely of glass, letting in the dull moonlight and a bit of light from the streetlights and other buildings nearby. Up above, lights hung from the ceiling with colored blown-glass shades, coating the room in an eerie sheen of red that matched the carpet. To me, it made the whole space look like it was on fire.

And then, the room's occupants. Immediately, I noticed the four figures in the room. First, a tall, muscular woman leaning up against the wall, a shotgun strapped to her chest. Her wild hair had been tamed back into two buns on her head, but many curls still escaped and framed her wide face.

Then, another woman, who, surprisingly, was standing on the table. She was shorter than the other woman by at least a full head, and her eyes were sharp as she stared down at me. I noticed two pistols at her belt.

The third person in the room was standing by the windows, looking down at the street below. It aggravated me that they seemed so calm and collected in the situation, but when they finally turned, I was caught off guard. The 'they' was actually a 'he' and the 'he' had cropped, white hair and dark eyes that felt like they were looking right through me. He wore a button-up white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and even from the doorway, I could see the sinews in his muscled forearms. There was no doubt that the man was incredibly strong.

And then, the last person. My eyes immediately flew to the crumpled shape in the corner, slouched over himself, dark brown hair flopped over his forehead. I inhaled sharply. Lance. His halo rotated painfully slowly as he leaned against the wall. I noticed that he was gagged and blindfolded as well.

With newfound rage, I turned back to the man and the two women, eyes dark. The man smiled at me pleasantly in return. He was the first to speak.

"I see you've found us," he purred in an accent that reminded me of my father's. His voice was low and deep, but I could sense the curiosity in his words. "You're the first to have made it this far."

I didn't reply, just kept my tranquilizer steady. The woman who was standing on the table hopped off with a light thud and slowly walked forward to stand next to the man. Her long, pink hair, which was cornrowed and held high in a ponytail, swung back and forth with her every step. She eyed me carefully.

"I will say, you have a pretty pitiful friend, there," the woman said sweetly, nodding her head in Lance's direction. "He went down with a single hit." I bit the tip of my tongue to keep from speaking. I didn't think they were aware of Pidge, still obscured beside the doorway, and I would wreck her element of surprise if I got myself knocked out or injured so quickly.

Lotor nodded at the woman. "And I thought that angels had more stamina than that." My eyes went wide. How could they know? Lance had told me how much care went into protecting the angels' secrets against mortals. The invisibility, the care in Energy use, the consequences of telling a mortal. And yet, this man seemed to know all about the hidden race.

"Oh, you're surprised?" The man asked, eyebrows raised. He laughed humorlessly. "Why do you think that cute little thing over there is blindfolded? Angels can't use their Energy if they can't see." I hadn't known that.

"But I know that you aren't an angel, Keith," the man said slyly, and the woman beside him giggled, her hands on her hips.

Another shock. He knew my name. "No, no, no," he clucked his tongue, "I know all about you, little brother." His words bore into my head like bullets. Brother? It was enough shock to make me lose my balance. I took a step back, but held firm there, trying to regain my sanity.

"What the hell are you on?" I managed to ask, sounding more reckless than I felt.

Again, the man chuckled. "Oh, you don't believe me? Come on, little brother, do you seriously believe that you and the Twins are the only children that our father had? You really think you're that special?"

I hated to admit that I'd never thought about it. My father had never told me about other siblings, let alone an older brother who owned an underground black market where he sold illegal firearms. The Twins had never mentioned anyone like that either.

As if reading my mind, the man spoke again, "Oh, I know the Twins, alright. Back when they came up here, I met up with them. Told them the truth about how weak their little angel guides were. Yes, it took a few white lies, but eventually, the Twins saw what was right- how their little angels weren't anything worth worrying over. I was the one who made them realize that they didn't need their guides. And when they returned to the Underworld, I eliminated another threat to the throne."

Again, with the Twins and their guides. I still didn't know the full story about what happened, but at least now I knew that whatever had split the Twins up with their guides was some fabricated story made up by this asshole. And all for what? The throne? Was he serious?

"Is that what you're after? Ruling over the Underworld? How do I know that this isn't all fake? I think you need to get your head checked," I snapped.

The man glowered at me. There was a flash of dark light and, after blinking several times to clear my vision, the man who had stood before me now floated a few inches off the ground, the whites of his eyes black and with long, bull-like horns protruding from his forehead. Behind him, a leathery, thin tail that ended in a spade, just like mine and the Twins', whipped side to side. "I am Lotor," he said clearly, "and I am next in line for the throne of the Underworld." For a mere second, I felt fear skim over the surface of my skin in a shiver.

But I brought myself to look at Lance, hunched over in the corner, black fabric around his eyes and mouth, and Pidge behind me, probably confused out of her goddamn mind but hidden nonetheless. If I could finish this myself, then I could save both of them.

"So what do you want from me?" I asked, letting my own horns (which were embarrassingly smaller than my supposed brother's, but horns nonetheless) grow from my own forehead.

A slow, evil smile spread across Lotor's face. "I just want to talk."


	22. Allies and Enemies pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith meets an unlikely ally who helps him with his fight against lotor

_Keith_

3 guns, all trained on me.

1 dangerous older brother.

1 incapacitated angel, unconscious across the room.

1 hidden angel behind the door.

2 more dangerous generals somewhere else in the building.

I guess this would be a good time to say that the odds weren't in my favor. I had four options.

**1) Try shooting both of the generals and Lotor before they can fire back.**

**2) Beg for my life and grovel.**

**3) Pretend to pass out and see what happens.**

**4) Don't move and have a weird standoff with Lotor until he makes a move and I most likely die.**

None of which were favorable. However, before I had time to decide, I saw movement in my periphery. I didn't hesitate to pull my trigger. As I did, I watched, as if in slow motion, as two other darts passed dangerously close to me from behind, striking the two generals in their chests. My own dart hit Lotor in the exact center of his ribs, and he stumbled backward, caught off guard.

The two women started firing at me desperately, but the sedative had already taken hold of them, so their movements were predictable and easy to dodge. A normal dart would take at least 5 minutes to start kicking in, but Pidge had gotten all nerdy on the way to the building, explaining how the extensive research used into keeping the SAL nonlethal had brought the Legion into an age of the fastest reacting tranquilizers ever known. Of course, the weapons were never shared with the public, but it was the best, non-lethal alternative that Missus allowed.

The two generals' eyes closed quickly as the sedative worked into their systems and, thankfully, Lotor slowed too, looking increasingly aggravated and angry as his body didn't respond. For a second, I felt bad for him but then realized that this was a good thing. This was the mission. Carefully, I crouched beside where he lay, struggling to keep his eyes open as he fought sleep.

"I'm not sorry, big brother," I told him quietly, "Best of luck to you."

Lotor's eyes fluttered shut. Straightening, I turned back to see who had come to my rescue. Pidge, who I'd expected, but another woman as well. She looked to be in her early twenties and had a graceful beauty about her. She had dark, indigo hair that was cut above her shoulders and was carrying one of the SAL's tranquilizer guns. Behind her stood Rover, who looked a little baffled at having his weapon taken by a complete stranger, just for her to use it against her supposed former allies.

"Sorry, who are you?" I asked, stepping back towards the woman and Pidge.

"Acxa. I'm one of Lotor's generals." Acxa looked over my shoulder to Lotor, who lay peacefully on the carpeted floor. "I'd been wanting to do that for a while," she sighed, a hint of relief washing over her features. "Ever since he sent Narti away, I knew that the whole operation was just a trick to lure you in. I didn't want to be a part of that."

Pidge raised an eyebrow. "Narti?"

Acxa nodded, handing Rover back his tranquilizer. "Yes. She was the fourth general." She pointed at the muscled woman who had the shotgun, "That's Zethrid," and then at the slim woman with the pink hair, "and Ezor." Acxa looked away. "We're like sisters. But when Lotor got suspicious of Narti and sent her away, something broke between the two of us. I've been meaning to get out of here since."

I looked at the two unconscious generals with pity. They'd just been doing what was asked of them. Unfortunately, their commander seemed to be a sack of shit- I didn't blame Acxa for wanting to get out of the situation.

"Was it true?" I asked Acxa, referring to the whole brother thing.

She nodded gravely. "Yes. Lotor was your father's first son. But, somehow, he gained an unhealthy amount of greed as he grew up, so your father disowned him. When the Twins came to the Midworld, Lotor was able to corrupt them and turn them against their guides. That caused a rift between the Upper- and Underworlds, which Lotor figured would weaken your father. He didn't anticipate your arrival as well, though.

"It was foolish of you to be naive of the power of your enemies," I looked away, embarrassed, "but you didn't know any better, so it wasn't your fault. I suggest that you have a serious talk with your father once you get home. Until he can come to collect Lotor," Acxa lightly kicked Lotor's foot with the toe of her boot, "I can keep him secured here. Don't take too long, though, it's not going to be easy to babysit him."

I nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Acxa, really. This... is a lot to take in, but I'm glad I know. It feels nice to have another ally."

Acxa nodded once.

Speaking of angels... I turned towards Lance, striding across the room to where he lay, slouched against the wall. Sinking to my knees beside him, I untied the blindfold and the gag from behind his head, wincing at the sizable bruise forming on his jaw. Lance's eyelashes fluttered gently and slowly, he opened his eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked him quietly.

"Ha..." he laughed weakly, then smiled faintly, "We  _are_  a good team." Seconds later, his eyes closed again and he began snoring lightly. Rolling my eyes, I reluctantly scooped him up in my arms, unsure of how I felt about how close he was to me.

Getting used to his weight, I walked slowly across the room to where Pidge and Rover stood, talking quietly to Acxa. Rover nodded to me as I approached them. "We gotta go," he informed me, "The CCTVs are going to start working again soon, and Acxa is still the only ally we have in this place. Let's go."

I thanked Acxa one last time before following Rover and Pidge out and down the hallway, taking the elevator down to ground level and exiting the building as quietly as we could. Just as we were pulling out of the parking lot, the alarms began to blare. Rover slammed on the gas, and we left the Zarkon corporation with the sound of screeching tires and loud alarms.

While Rover and Pidge had taken the front seat, I stayed in back with Lance, who was sleeping peacefully, his head in my lap. Over and over, I heard his voice in my head, his kind eyes searching mine, the tired smile on his lips.

 _We_ are _a good team_.


	23. Yet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance have to leave the sal to go to their next journey, even if it hurts

_Lance_

_Owww..._

Groaning, I sat up in bed, blinking to adjust to the brightness in the room. My head pounded painfully and the edges of my vision blurred, forcing me to sway backward and hit my pillow with a puff of air. Sighing, I turned onto my side, observing the room.

It was almost identical to the room I had been in the previous night, but the bed was on a different wall and the chair in the corner was barren. Wincing, I tried to retrace the events of the night before. Keith, Pidge, Rover and I on the mission. The elevator... after that, things went dark. I groaned lightly. What had happened?

"Morning, sunshine."

I nearly shrieked, bolting up in bed in surprise. "Keith?" I yelled, shocked at his sudden appearance. The smug bastard looked up at me from his blow-up mattress on the floor. My migraine throbbed painfully at my sudden movement and I clutched my head between my hands, crying out.

Keith was on his feet in seconds, hovering over me, all signs of previous arrogance gone from his face. "Hey, are you okay?"

I peeked at him between my fingers, wondering for the nth time why he  _couldn't put a damn shirt on_. "Yeah," I muttered. "Headache."

Keith cocked his head to the side, frowning slightly. "Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense. I guess you got hit pretty hard last night. Maybe you should magic up some Advil? I'll get you some water."

I nodded in appreciation, setting my pillow up against the headboard of the bed and resting back against it. Letting a little Energy flow into my fingertips, I slowly materialized a few Advil tablets in my palm, surprised at how much it made my head hurt.

When Keith returned with a small glass of water, I mustered a smile, downing the pills quickly and washing them down with a few gulps. Keith sat down by my feet on the bed, slouching and giving me a curious look. "What happened last night?" I asked.

Keith proceeded to tell me about the previous night's events, most of which were incredibly shocking to me. I didn't know how he was so calm. "You're telling me that an evil, exiled devil named Lotor, who happens to be your brother, is second in line to the throne? And he wanted to kill you so he could be first in line?  _And_  he lied to the Twins about Matt and Adam so they'd return to the Underworld?  _And_  you now have a mortal ally who's going to babysit your evil brother until you go back home?"

Keith nodded, shrugging, "Pretty much. Oh, and we had a bonding moment."

Perplexed, I frowned, "What?"

"I cradled you in my arms," Keith said in a falsetto voice, flourishing his arms. I giggled weakly at his theatrics but bit my lip as I tried to remember.

"I... don't remember," I told him, pursing my lips worriedly. What if I'd made an absolute fool of myself?

Keith scowled, "Asshole."

"Asshole who's in pain," I reminded him, pointing weakly to my head.

"Asshole who's having amnesia," he grumbled in reply, standing. Stretching, Keith yawned, then turned towards me. "Let's get you up."

I reluctantly pushed the blankets off my legs and, for the second morning in a row, winced at how cold the tile floor was beneath my feet. Testing a little bit of weight at a time, I slowly stood, all the while being spotted by Keith. Full straightened, I stepped forward once, but as soon as my bare foot left the linoleum, I wobbled forward, losing my balance.

In an instant, strong hands cupped my elbows and I was barely able to keep my lips from skimming Keith's forehead as he caught me, his biceps flexed as he supported my weight. Laughing breathlessly as I regained my balanced, I apologized one too many times as I hastily stepped away from him, aware that the devil wasn't exactly keen on physical contact.

But Keith hovered, arms half-poised to catch me again, as we walked out of the room and out into the hallway. Once we entered the cafeteria, he finally relaxed, confident that I had regained my balance completely. That is until Pidge sprinted forward and barreled into me, knocking me to the ground with a bear hug.

"You had me so worried, Mr. Mcclain, do you understand? UGH, never get knocked out again!" she scolded me from her seat on my chest as I lay on my back on the cafeteria floor. Several cadets sent me pitying glances as my head throbbed with pain and Keith sputtered uselessly, making no attempt to help me up, lest he be ran over with one of Pidge's hugs too.

...

At breakfast, Pidge and Coran hed helped me plan out my next journey with Keith, while said devil went off with Rover. Apparently, Rover showed Keith the SAL's collection of daggers that they'd fought with hundreds of years ago. Keith had been so impressed by the blades that Rover had nonchalantly offered him one.

Keith looked like he was ready to cry with excitement when he presented the dagger to me, its sleek, sharp cover glinting in the fluorescent lights of the cafeteria. I playfully glared at Rover, reminding him that we had to get the giant knife through airport security too.  _Good grief_.

After eating, I'd been eager to get on the road. As much as I loved the hospitality of the SAL, Keith and I still had a mission to follow, and I wasn't about to abandon it. Fortunately, Pidge had happily offered to drive us to the airport, as well as provide us with some new clothes instead of the scrubs we had been lending.

My Energy still wasn't up to speed, so she was also able to provide Keith and I tickets to our next destination. So, Keith in a long black trench coat and a button-up tucked into slacks and me in a polka-dotted, flowy romper and platform sandals, we flipped down our sunglasses and pretended we were movie stars as we rode in the limo to the airport.

When we arrived, I hugged Coran and Pidge through the windows, thanking them profusely.

"Tell your mom I say 'hello' when you get back up there!" Coran laughed happily, jabbing his thumb upwards at the Upperworld. Grinning in return, I promised him I would.

As I bent down to hug Pidge through the limo window, she whispered in my ear, "Good luck with that one. Invite me to the wedding." Flustered and shocked, I straightened abruptly, promptly hitting the top of my head on the top of the windowsill.

Snickering, Pidge shot me a devilish grin, then waved at Keith. "You'd make a good angel, Keith!" she called.

Keith smirked, "And you'd make a good devil!" We waved at the receding limo until we couldn't see it anymore. Alone with Keith in the airport entrance, I shot him an apologetic half-smile.

"Another plane," he commented.

"Yet again," I replied.

...

Against my better judgment, I decided not to tell Keith that the flight we were boarding was actually a connecting flight and that after the five hours on the plane to our first stop, we had another six hours until we finally reached the destination I had in mind.

I knew it was a reach, believe me, but I had my reasons. Well, reason. My best friend lived where we were going. Initially, when Keith had written his plan, I had known immediately where I would take him for this task. Not only was it a beautiful place, but I wanted Keith to meet my best friend. My only real mortal friend.

So, as we boarded the first flight, Keith lugging his bag (with a carefully concealed, invisible dagger in it that I still thought was overkill and impractical) alongside him, I tried to keep him as occupied as I could to take his mind off the passage of time.

First, I made him retell me what Lotor had said about the Twins and my brothers and wondered what would happen when I told Matt and Adam about this. Would the Twins want to see them again, now that they knew that the lies they were fed about their guides were false accusations that Lotor concocted to keep the Twins away from the Underworld throne? Would the Twins even believe it?

When I asked Keith about it, he admitted that he actually didn't know anything about my brothers and that the Twins had kept most of the information to themselves. He'd been kept in the dark about the whole thing but had always wanted to know. I bit my lip nervously as we headed into the second hour of the flight. If Keith couldn't convince the Twins that it had all been fabricated, could either pair ever be happy?

And that brought a whole  _new_  flurry of questions into my mind. What kind of relationship did the Twins and their guides even  _have_? I knew that my brothers were somewhere in the middle of the sexuality spectrum, but so was practically every angel. It was part of the whole 'love everything' deal. I rubbed my bracelet anxiously.  _Amores Vobiscum_. Love be with you.

Devils were incapable of love... at least, I knew Keith was. (Did I?) Did that mean that Kuron and Shiro were just toying with my brothers' emotions in the first place?

The more I worried, the more intense my headache got, and eventually, I made myself sit back and stop thinking about it. I felt useless, here on the Midworld, unable to tell Matt and Adam what the truth was, but I vowed to tell them as soon as I got back home. It was their lives, anyways.

Mildly relaxed, I forced myself to make a hangman game for Keith and me to keep us engaged through the flight and to keep my mind off things.

When the third hour came and passed, I checked my watch. The plane had left at 10:00 am, which meant that we'd get to our connecting stop at around 3:00 pm, then an hour break at that airport, and the final stop at 10:00 pm. I frowned. That was a long time to be in a plane, even for me.

Keith seemed oblivious to my anxiety, though, which I was partially thankful for. This was  _his_  mission, after all. I needed to hold myself together, just for him. I had all the time in the world to worry about this later, once Keith and I parted. But for now, I needed to focus on keeping Keith happy. And that meant to stop worrying.

Sighing, I leaned back in my seat, watching the TV screen on the back of the chair in front of Keith flip through various shows as the devil channel-surfed. Our multiple hangman games lay between us.

...

When we landed in the first stop and the muggy warmth of the airport hit us with a burst of wind, Keith's eyes went wide. His eyes scoured the gift shop in front of us until he found what he was looking for. "Honolulu? Hawaii! This is the island?" His eyes went wide.

This was it. I chuckled nervously and Keith looked at me with a suspicious expression. "Lance?" he dragged out the vowel irritably.

"Well, not exactly," I muttered, biting my bottom lip nervously. "Our... connecting flight boards in an hour. We have another flight."

For a second, Keith's face flashed to annoyance. But, to my surprise, he quickly smoothed it over with a calm expression, sighing a little before relenting. "Okay."

I blinked, surprised.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. It's fine, Lance. I don't mind." He cracked a teasing smile as he looked up at me, "I much prefer flying in planes than you carrying me."

Offended, my face fell. "Oh," I said, wounded. Did he really not like it that much?

Keith burst out laughing, putting a hand on my shoulder as he rushed to amend, "No, Lance, I'm kidding."

With puppy dog eyes, I made eye contact again, "Really?"

Keith smiled earnestly. "Yes, really."


	24. Somewhere to Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance arrive at their fourth destination! hunks!

_Keith_

California had been hot. Hawaii had been humid. But the warm, heavy air that slid around me like a blanket as I stepped from the ramp out into the airport felt like heaven. I breathed a sigh of relief-  _finally_ , we were here. Stop number 4. Lance, walking slowly in front of me, stretched his arms out above him, rolling his head to stretch out his neck after spending so long slouched in his seat.

Turning around to me, he grinned. "Welcome to Samoa! Your island paradise that will fulfill your dreams."

I slowly looked around the airport, taking everything in. It was nighttime out, but that didn't seem to lower the temperature in the air too significantly. Above us, on the ceiling, were large, open windows, displaying the night sky and speckled starlight. The airport was small compared to the ones in Honolulu and San Jose, but many tourists and locals still milled around, talking loudly as they wheeled their suitcases behind them.

Large, curved palm trees bent down towards us from their giant terra cotta pots, the fronts blowing slightly in the light breeze that floated down from the windows above. The tropical ukulele and steel drum music that played over the speakers in the airport created a comforting environment.

Lance, who seemed to know exactly where we were going, led me through the airport with an excited smile on his face. "Where are we going?" I asked jokingly.

I hadn't expected him to answer, but he turned around and gave me a sunny smile as he replied, "To Hunk's!"

Grabbing my wrist, he dragged me forward, marching happily to the front doors of the airport.

...

"Lance!"

I stood back, looking on as Lance and a young man reunited in front of a small, squat house. The man, probably in his mid-twenties grinned as he gave the angel a bear-hug, spinning him around happily. The house we stood before was where Lance had told me we would be staying in, but I hadn't expected it to have other patrons as well.

"It's good to see you, Hunk," I heard Lance's muffled chuckle.

Stepping back, Hunk held Lance as arms-length, scouring his face with large, chocolate eyes. I carefully took in the man's features- floppy, dark hair, broad shoulders, square jaw, and heavily muscled. It looked like he could snap me in half with his bare hands like a toothpick if he wanted to, but his beaming smile made that hard to imagine.

"It's been too long," Hunk agreed, nodding. He turned to look at me and his eyebrows shot upwards.

"Hello," I said lamely, "I'm Keith."

"A friend of mine," Lance interjected, and I noticed how he stressed the word 'friend', making pointed eye contact with Hunk. The young Samoan only hesitated a second before pulling me into a hug as well.

Hunk was warm and he smelled like coconuts and coffee beans, but the feeling wasn't uncomfortable. I realized that, while Lance's hugs were soft, sweet, his thin arms around my shoulders, his face pressed to my neck, Hunk's hug made me feel small and childish. It was the kind of hug I imagine I would want my father to give me. Stepping back, Hunk grinned at me.

"Any friend of Lance's is a friend of mine. It's nice to meet you, bro."

"It's nice to meet you too," I replied softly, looking down at my shoes.

Lance spoke up. "Thank you for letting us stay here, bud- it means a lot to me to not have to stay in another hotel."

Hunk nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! I don't blame you." He opened the door for us, letting us into his small home. "Oh! You must be tired!" He hit his forehead with his palm, rolling his eyes at himself, "Jet lag and all that jazz."

I looked around the house in vague wonder, letting my eyes fall over the sink, the oven and stove-top, counter space, fridge, and so on. A wooden table stood behind the kitchen with four chairs pushed beneath it. The wall was covered in large tiles, all different shades of burnt orange and brown.

It was sweet and felt comfortable like a home should, and I, too, was grateful that we weren't staying in another hotel. Lance looked at his phone and nodded, "Yeah, it's getting late, and I'm sure we both could use the sleep." His eyes found mine.

As if on command, I suddenly felt exhaustion wash over me. Blinking slowly, I nodded, hefting my small bag over my shoulder.

"Great," Hunk said, "I'll show you to your room."

It turned out that Lance and I would be sharing the guest room, which had a bed and a blow-up mattress already set up for us. Lance insisted that he take the floor, since I had the previous night, but it took me a while to relent.  _I_ wasn't the one who'd been knocked out, so I felt like I should take the floor to make sure he rested well, but he, being the stubborn angel that he was, refused.

We got ready for bed in comfortable silence, Lance using a bit of his Energy to magic up some pajamas for the two of us. I tried to avert my eyes in time, but I ended up catching a glimpse of the smooth curve of Lance's back as he stepped out of his romper, the freckles on his shoulders. Chiding myself, I changed in the bathroom.

...

I had to say, the bed was comfortable. So comfortable that, at first, I didn't wake up to the sound of Lance crying out in his sleep. But with a jolt, I sat up, looking down at the floor beside the bed. In the dim moonlight coming in through the window, I saw him writhe beneath the sheets, his face screwed up in agony.

Reaching down, I touched his shoulder, shaking him slightly, trying to wake him up. "Lance!" I whispered urgently. Suddenly, his eyes sprung open, and he sat up so fast I had to lean back avoid slamming our foreheads.

Gasping for breath, Lance scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to brush the dream away like cobwebs. My eyes found his shape and his halo, which glowed slightly as it wobbled around his head.

"Lance?" I asked, voice groggy. "Are you okay?"

Lance tried to slow his breathing. He didn't reply. I heard his heartbeat in my head, it's rapid pounding like a drum. I knew he wasn't okay.

"C'mere," I muttered, laying back down. I didn't know what I was offering. Blindly, he stood on wobbly legs, feeling his mattress, the pillow, his hand brushing against my bare back. I wished I had worn a shirt to bed.

I held up the covers for him, and he slipped beneath them, next to me. I laid on my side, facing away from him, trying to take up the least amount of space possible.

We didn't say anything, but I could feel his tension. "Nightmare?" I asked.

"Yeah." I heard him sigh.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Is  _this_  okay?" I bit my lip, wondering if he knew that I was referring to the bed.

He paused.

"Yeah."

I listened to his heartbeat until it slowed to a reasonable rhythm. But, before it slowed enough to assure me that he was asleep, I felt his cold palm on my shoulder. I shivered.

"Keith?" he whispered so quietly I wondered if I'd imagined it. I focused on the feel of his fingertips on my shoulder.

"Yeah?"

He didn't say anything, so I turned, rolling over to my other side. Lance was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. I felt his warmth radiating off of his skin. He turned his head towards me, and his glowing halo turned his blue eyes bright, illuminating the flecks of color in his irises.

"I'm glad it was me," he said quietly, eyes locked onto mine. I was only vaguely aware of what was happening, but I was shocked into reality when I felt Lance's lips on my forehead. Frozen, I looked straight ahead, eyes tracing over the stretch in his neck as he leaned above me. I felt his chin press against the bridge of my nose and I let out the smallest of sighs, letting my eyes flutter closed.

His lips left my forehead and I felt the waxiness of the residue that his chapstick left on my skin. Withdrawing slowly, Lance watched me carefully, gauging my reaction. I regarded him carefully, and, to my surprise, I felt my cheeks begin to heat up a bit.

"What is this?" I whispered before I could stop myself.

"I don't know," Lance replied, his blue eyes holding mine.

"What's happening?" I pressed. I'd never felt this before. My stomach, in knots, squirmed as I tried to comprehend my feelings.

Lance smiled at me softly, pressing the pad of his thumb to where he'd kissed and rubbing away his chapstick. "I don't think you'll believe me if I tell you," Lance answered, his eyelids drooping tiredly. I didn't want him to fall asleep.

"Try me," I urged. But Lance's lids had closed, and his heartbeat had slowed. Biting my lip, I turned back onto my side, trying to block out the thoughts that now streamed into my mind.

Lance, the angel, who'd  _kissed_  my forehead. Me, a lowly, dark, hateful devil.  _Me_.

" _I'm glad it was me._ "

What did that mean? What was that supposed to tell me?

I felt myself becoming quickly overworked, so I tried to still my breathing, trying to stay calm. Fidgeting, I slowly inched backward, not stopping until I felt Lance's shoulder against my back. His presence was comforting. After what seemed like hours, I was able to fall asleep.


	25. Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning after keith and lance arrive at hunks- we meet shay!

_Lance_  
  
I woke up slowly to bright light filtering orange through my eyelids. Turning my face away from the brightness, I buried my face into my pillow.   
  
"That tickles, asshole."  
  
Startled, my eyes shot open. What I had thought to be my pillow was actually the nape of Keith's neck, and now he was looking at me irritatedly over his shoulder. Blinking, I realized that not only had I just mistaken a devil for a pillow, but I was also practically spooning said devil as well. We were curled up on our sides, and my arm was slung over the dip in his waist, his pale skin cool against my forearm.   
  
Why he was putting up with this obviously very physical contact, I had no idea, but I was still fumbling over the feeling of Keith's back against my torso. I could, quite literally, feel the muscles of his shoulders on my chest through my shirt.   
  
I looked up from Keith and realized that the bright light that had woken me was morning sunlight streaming through the window. Through the glass pane, I watched the palm trees outside sway in the breeze, and just beyond that, I could make out the start of the beach. The golden sand looked ridiculously enticing, and I felt the same draw to the ocean that I'd felt in Seattle.   
  
But right now, with Keith letting me be so close to him, I just wanted to stay here. A foggy memory materialized in my head. Of what had happened last night. Suddenly, I remembered. Keith had faced me, and our faces were so close- I had just kind of lost any semblance of self-control and had gone right to kissing him. No. Kissing his forehead. It was different.  
  
Trying to act inconspicuous, I slowly brought my nose back down to Keith's neck, then inhaled quietly.  _Oh_. He smelled like pine, smoke and mint, making my head spin a little. What the hell was I doing?  
  
"Lance? May I come in?" A knock at the door.  
  
Keith turned around and shoved me in a flash, pushing at my chest so hard that I fell off the bed. Luckily, the air mattress was there to catch me just in time as Hunk came through the door, holding two mugs of coffee. Smiling sweetly, he offered one to me and one to Keith, who sat up in bed, looking coy and put-together, his pale skin shining in the sunlight that streamed through the window.  
  
Meanwhile, I sat in a heap on the air mattress, looking flustered and messy. "Come on into the kitchen once you've changed- Shay and I made breakfast," Hunk told us, smiling easily. I nodded, and he left the room.   
  
Immediately, I glared at Keith, rubbing my back where I'd landed on the mattress. Keith looked at me with his eyebrows raised. "Don't be too butthurt, it ruins your face when you scowl like that," he drawled lazily, stretching out his long legs before standing, reaching his arms up over his head. His sweatpants rode low on his hips and there was a cool smirk on his face.  
  
Was this porn?   
  
Sighing loudly, Keith looked down at me and rolled his eyes. Ruffling my hair briefly, he gathered up the clothes I'd produced the night before and headed to the bathroom.   
  
What an asshole.  
  
...  
  
Hunk and Shay were possibly the sweetest couple I'd ever seen. As they moved around each other in the kitchen, it was like a dance. As Shay cooked and flipped the pancakes, Hunk came up behind her and kissed her cheek, smiling as bright as the sun.  
  
Shay was a pretty, tall girl with short hair. Her skin was as dark as Hunk's, and her wide eyes were a deep and interesting shade of amber. She and Hunk had known each other for years but had only started dating recently. She was just a few houses down from Hunk's, so she could walk over in the mornings.   
  
Keith and I sat across from each other at the table, not making eye contact. We were in a weird place with our moods, and I didn't really know how to approach him now. He still seemed all coy and confident, but underneath that, I caught him glancing at me every so often, shooting me unreadable looks that I could only wonder meant.  
  
But, putting that aside, I was overall really happy to see my best friend. Hunk and I had known each other for years- I'd met him on my first mission on Earth, and we'd traveled together for the remainder of my journey.  
  
He'd been 19, taking a gap year before starting college, and I'd looked around the same age (I'd been 18,572). Now, he was 25 (and I 18,578). I'd talked to my mother once I'd finished the mission, and she'd agreed to let me visit him whenever I didn't have a task. Luckily, that was pretty often. Hunk had moved back to his home village in Somoa after he finished college and he now owned and managed an eatery by the beach called The Yellow Lion.   
  
He didn't know that I was an angel, but I was sure that he knew that there was something suspicious with my behavior, how I could pop in without notice, how little things like money and food were never a problem for me, how I came and went as I pleased. Thankfully, he never asked any questions, which I appreciated more than he knew.   
  
It wasn't like I didn't want to tell him. He'd probably trust me a bit more if he knew, but it was Mom's rule, which was in negotiable. Our sacred secret was to be shielded from mortal eyes. I flicked my wrist, a nervous gesture, and felt the comfortable weight of my bracelet on my wrist.  _Amores Vobiscum. 'Love be with you'._  I looked at Keith from across the table.   
  
After a meal of delicious pancakes, soft and flat and thin like I liked them, Hunk suggested heading down to the surf. I could see the cogs turning in Keith's head as he remembered his last experience by the sea, but before he could protest, I clapped my hands together in glee, agreeing happily and promising Hunk that we'd go with him. Shay left to go get her bathing suit, and Hunk disappeared into his own room to change.  
  
Keith gave me the stink eye, scowling. I put my hands on my hips. " _Escuchame, cabrón. Te amo, pero no es mi culpa si no puedes nadar._  We're going swimming! We're gonna have fun! Please? For me?"  
  
Keith, either unaware or impervious of my insult, groaned, slouching back in his seat. "It's cold."  
  
"It's the ocean!" I said, exasperated.   
  
After a few more snips back and forth, Keith finally relented into letting me drag him to the beach. Relieved, I swore I could kiss him. He was so stubborn...  
  
After we changed, Hunk led us over to Shay's, where we picked her up, and then we headed down to the beach. It was a sunny day, absolutely gorgeous, and the air was warm and breezy.  
  
"You came at a good time," Hunk told me as we walked, "We just about finished the wet season. I'm looking forward to a dry summer."  
  
I shivered, remembering the time I'd arrived in Samoa only to be met with a constant thunderstorm lasting for weeks. I liked the rain, but not for that long. On the other hand, though, I didn't like when it got too hot without a few scattered rain storms. But Hunk liked the predictability of Samoa's climate, which made it easy for him to live there.   
  
As we walked, I looked around, observing the island. The island was covered in vegetation- palms trees and tropical plants with huge leaves and so on. There were jagged cliffs on the coastline and, behind us, a few rows of residential streets. I knew that a few miles away, there was a community hub with food, clothes, and other necessities. Hunk and I had been there many times together.

But, as the four of us walked through the grove of palm trees and I smelled the salt of the ocean, I realized that, besides Hunk, Samoa was the best for its beach.


	26. Beach Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith, lance, hunk, and shay head to the beautiful samoan beach. but will keith actually swim?

_Keith_

As I stood on the shore, the cold water washing over my toes, I felt relaxation washing over me. Behind me, the dense thicket of palm trees provided shade and I could hear the wind brushing through their fronds, sounding like whispers. The shore was dotted with rocks covered in barnacles and algae and, on the sand, long strips of green seaweed washed up by the surf.

The sky above me was open and bright blue, dotted with clouds, and the sun felt nice on my bare skin. I remembered what felt like years ago when I'd stepped out of that barn in New Hampshire for the first time and felt the harsh light burn my eyes. Maybe I'd gotten used to the light.

I lifted my eyes to the ocean and watched Lance and Hunk splash each other, diving underwater and jumping back out again, only to be pummeled by the giant waves that the ocean sent to shore. Lance's skin was bronze in the bright light and his laughter echoed across the nearly-empty bay.

I heard footsteps in the sand beside me and looked to my right, recognizing Shay, Hunk's girlfriend. She was pretty- strongly-built like Hunk and with kind eyes. She wore a long, flowy sundress that trailed out behind her as it was carried by the wind. Her eyes tracked Hunk, a small smile on her face.

"How long have you known Lance?" she asked softly, her voice low and smooth.

It took me a minute to calculate it, but eventually, I was able to count backward. "About 2 weeks, I think. I feel like it's been longer, though. Weeks, months..."

"Years?" Shay guessed, and I nodded. It was true.

She sighed, turning her full attention to me. "That's how I feel with Hunk, you know. I feel like I've known him for so much longer than I actually have. It's a little scary- sometimes I feel like he knows me more than I know myself."

I hesitated. "Isn't that what it's supposed to be like, though?"

Shay cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"When you're... you know... in love."

Shay smiled widely. "I guess so. Do you love Lance?"

She didn't know how hard that question was for me. She didn't know the internal battle I had to face to come up with an answer.

Flushing, Shay quickly amended herself, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being nosey. Hunk told me that you two were only friends, anyways."

I flashed her a small smile, shrugging. "No, it's okay. It's just a hard question. I guess that I admire Lance for certain traits he has. I envy him for being so easy-going and care-free. I wish that I was more like him, in some ways. But... I'm not sure if I could ever love him. We're too different. It's like we come from two separate worlds."

If I had had a heart, I'm sure that it would have broken from the weight of the heavy lie.

...

"Keith, make sure to put on some sunscreen, alright? You'll get burnt with your pale skin," Hunk laughed as he and Shay disappeared down the path. They were going back home to grab us some lunch so that we could picnic on the beach.

I lounged in the sand, my skin comfortably warm, and watched the rhythmic waves crashing down the beach. If I lifted my eyes past the waves, I could see Lance in the water, treading above the surface, only his head visible as he bobbed in the ocean.

It was just as Lance had said- this place was a paradise.

No sooner had I thought that, I heard a shrieking cry echo across the water. Jerking upright, my eyes widened. Lance was thrashing around in the ocean, his arms flailing wildly.

"HELP!"

Running on instinct only, I ran forward through the sand, bolting down the shore and into the water. I ignored the piercing cold of the ocean as I ran in. A large wave hit my chest, soaking me, but I powered through the surf, diving under the next wave that came towards me, determination and adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I saw Lance up ahead, flailing still, shouting loudly. Fear in my heart, I surged forward against the tide, reaching Lance just as the sea level rose just high enough that I couldn't stand on the sand.

"Lance!" I yelled, trying to figure out what was wrong. Was he drowning? Suddenly, Lance stopped struggling. He turned to face me with a guilty grin.

"Are you okay?" I wheezed, breathing heavily. The water lapped at my neck and I struggled to stay above the surface.

"I didn't know how else to get you to come in!" Lance blurted, his eyes wide with amusement.

My jaw dropped. He'd pretended to be in trouble so that I'd come into the ocean? What an absolute asshole.

"You bastard!" I yelled, splashing him in the face with water, "I thought you were drowning!"

Lance's eyes went sympathetic as he moved closer to me in the water. "Don't be mad, Keith. Plus, this is payback from my bruised tailbone this morning."

Scowling, I turned around, heading back to the beach. But before I could take another step, I felt a rush of water and then Lance's warm arms around my shoulders. The angel clung to my back pathetically and I heard him let out a soft laugh. "Don't take it personally, Keith, I just wanted you to come in."

"You have the worst possible strategies for getting things that you want," I snapped.

"But they're effective," Lance replied, hugging me tightly. I felt the warmth of his skin against my own, and now, there wasn't a shirt between the contact like there had been last night when Lance had held me against his chest. I swallowed hard as I remembered, cheeks heating up for no reason.

"You're an asshole," I told him angrily.

"I know," he replied sweetly. "Did you really think I was drowning?"

"Yes."

"I'm a good actor, then?"

I didn't reply. I'd reached the elevation where I could stand, flat-footed, with my shoulders and chest above the water, so I stopped, catching my breath. Lance unwound his arms from around my shoulders and came up in front of me, making me look up into his eyes.

Lance's wet hair was slicked back and water droplets fell down his face and neck. His blue eyes were bright with happiness, and I couldn't help but swoon a little at his bare chest.

Lance pulled me closer to him, and before I knew it, he was holding me in some kind of hug, my head against his chest. I didn't hug back, of course not, but I let my head rest against his skin, listening to the sound of his heart as the cold ocean water drifted around us.

Lance leaned down and whispered almost too softly, "I told you that I'd always come back, little devil. I'm not going to leave you. I just... want you to have the best experience here. Before you leave."

I felt my stomach knot up at the last sentence. It was true. I would have to leave soon. We'd crossed off four of my wishes on The Plan, and the only one that remained was to 'find a forest'.

"I'm not ready," I whispered.

"You have to be."


	27. Night Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's keith and lance's last night on the island- what'll they do?

_Lance_

As Hunk performed his dramatic retelling of the first time he and I had met, I snuggled closer into my blanket, watching the shadows dance off of Keith's face as the four of us sat around the campfire. It had been a long, tiring day at the beach, and now, as we sat around the fire that Shay had built, I knew that I was the happiest I'd been in a while.

Not only was I with my best friend after so long apart, but I was also on a gorgeous island with a warm breeze in my hair and sand under my feet, eating delicious island food, making banana boats in the hot embers of the fire, and relaxing in the paradise.

As an angel in the Upperworld, I could see everything and anything I wanted to in the world. I observed in every country, granting miracles and guiding mortals' consciences. But it was a whole other level of living when you were personally able to feel your surroundings on your skin and actually be able to experience the moment.

I knew in my heart that it would be difficult to transition from living like this to returning to the Upperworld to continue my duties as an angel. Maybe I'd ask Mother if I could join Pidge and Coran at the SAL for some groundwork.

But I knew that it wouldn't be the same. The whole reason why I'd been able to experience this, live this, see everything I'd seen in the past few weeks... it was all because of Keith. I truly meant what I had said the night before.  _I'm glad it was me_. Maybe it was jealousy talking, but I wouldn't want any other angel to guide Keith. And I wouldn't want to guide any other devil.

There were always going to be things that I'd want to show him. I'd always want to bring him to Paris, I'd always want to go ice skating and shopping in New York City. I'd always want to show him what school was like, watch the World Cup with him, take him to Disney World and so many other places. I wanted him to remember the Midworld for how wonderful it was and I wanted him to remember it forever.

I knew that I would.

...

We ended up staying in Samoa for a week. Originally only planning to stay for two days, Hunk was delighted when I couldn't find any flights until the next Tuesday. I stayed up late planning our flights, but I was still dreading the whole thing. We were looking at the longest plane ride Keith and I had ever been on, as well as the most expensive. I didn't mind the money, but long flights weren't either of our favorite activities.

It had been an 11-hour flight from San Jose to Apia, but from Apia to our next destination would include a connecting stop in Honolulu before a lengthy flight across the ocean. I was dreading breaking the news to Keith, so I let him enjoy the vacation without having to worry about the flight.

For the rest of the week, the four of us were positively lazy. The weather stayed gorgeous, allowing us for campfires every night and picnics on the beach in the brilliant afternoons. We walked down into the market and bought exotic foods and fish and I made Keith try papaya for the first time.

The smell of brine and death was nearly overwhelming as Hunk led us through the fish market, but I managed with a tight face and a stiff neck as Hunk and Keith hoisted fish on their shoulders, Hunk exchanging kind words in Samoan with the merchant.

I read books on the hot sand, went swimming, and talked for hours with Hunk about anything and nothing. I gently eased Keith into entering the ocean on his own, showing him how to actually swim instead of his frantic (yet effective) flail that he'd used when he'd come to 'rescue' me.

On the second night, Keith and I switched sleeping arrangements. I slept on the bed, Keith on the air mattress beside me on the floor, but it didn't feel right. After spending the night sleeping in the same bed before, I missed the feel of my devil beside me.

I woke up in the middle of the night, the small clock beside me on the bedside table showing that it was just past 2 a.m., and peeked down over the side of the bed. A slice of moonlight fell from the window down onto Keith's cheek, illuminating the left side of his face.

He was sleeping soundly.

Sighing, I flopped back into bed, staring at the ceiling until I fell asleep. For the remainder of the vacation, we switched back and forth from sleeping between the cot and the bed. I personally didn't mind where I slept, but I wanted it to be fair.

As the week flew by, I was mildly surprised to find myself in bed the night before we left. My skin had been tanned, more freckles had appeared everywhere, and my lips were chapped from the dry salt water, and there was sand in my bed. But I still felt like I hadn't experienced the island as well as I could have.

And when I felt like that, there was only one thing that I could do. Slowly sitting up from the air mattress, I pushed the blankets off my legs and stood shakily, stretching before stepping outside of the house as quietly as possible.

Peeling off my shirt as I stepped onto the lawn of the house, I rolled my shoulders in preparation, flexing the muscles in my shoulders. Concentrating, I let my wings escape from their confines, feeling a buzz of adrenaline kick in as I felt the limbs spring from my back. The feathers glowed softly in the darkness, but I wasn't too much of a beacon, so I decided to fly without using invisibility.

Just as I was about to spring from the grass up into the sky, I heard a voice behind me.

"Wait!"

I swear, my heart stopped. Turning slowly, a tsunami of relief crashed over me when I realized that the owner of the voice was Keith. He stood by the doorway in his sweatpants, arms crossed over his chest as he watched me with wide eyes.

Holding a hand to my heart, I willed myself to relax, confirming that my secret wasn't about to be found out by my best friend. I could only hope that Hunk was still sound asleep in his bed inside.

As if reading my mind, Keith whispered, "Don't worry, he's asleep."

I nodded in thanks.

Keith walked forward towards me and surveyed my wings, head cocked to the side.

"Can I come?"

"You don't even know where I'm going," I replied, eyebrows raised.

"Doesn't matter."

"I thought you didn't like flying with me."

Keith sighed, looking upwards at the star-speckled sky. "It's nice out. I want to come."

Rolling my eyes, I held my arms out to him, scooping him up against my chest. "I think you've gained weight," I complained, shifting him in my arms until I was comfortable.

Keith scowled at me.

With a running start and a leap, I pushed my wings down with all my strength, boosting us upwards into the night sky. Flapping hard, I carried us up above the treeline and then further, leveling out when we were a good distance above the ground.

Above us, wispy clouds drifted across the night sky, playing hide-and-seek with the diamond-like stars that glittered everywhere you looked. The moon was full and bright and it turned everything that it touched silver. The air currents up here were soft and they lifted up under my wings, letting me glide to catch my breath.

Against my chest, Keith looked forward and not down, his hands clasped tightly around my neck, eyes wide. His skin was cool against mine and I felt him press closer to my chest, his ear to my heart, eyes gazing out over the sky.

With the rhythmic beat of my wings and the light scattered across the island of Samoa, the night was peaceful and calm and I felt my stress melt away.

"I don't want to leave," I told Keith softly, and he nodded, his hair tickling my neck, "but The Plan awaits."

We flew for a good 15 minutes, flying over the trees and houses with ease until my wings begin to get sore.

"I'm going to head back," I whispered into Keith's ear, and I felt him nod again. He was quiet tonight. I wondered why.

Slowly, I eased back to the direction of Hunk's house, angling my wings down so that we began to lose height. I felt Keith's arms tighten around my neck as I swooped down, gaining speed, but held him just as tight, trying to assure him that I'd never drop him.

We hit the ground hard and my legs struggled to keep up as I flapped my wings to steady myself, slowing to a walk once I'd regained my balance. Curling my wings around Keith and myself, I trudged back up into the house, pausing for a moment to listen to make sure that Hunk's heartbeat was slow enough for sleep.

I silently carried Keith back inside, then to the back where our bedroom was, setting him down on the bed carefully. Keith rubbed his eyes, looking like a tired toddler as he yawned, and slipped under the covers without a word. For a second, I stood there, looking over the devil as my wings hung down, exhausted.

Sighing, I retracted the limbs and crawled onto the air mattress, sinking gratefully back down onto the soft bed. I had only just closed my eyes when I heard Keith's voice.

"What are you doing?"

I frowned, "Sleeping?"

"It's our last night. Come on up."

Dragging myself off the air mattress, I slowly slipped into bed beside the devil, breathing a sigh of relief at how comfortable it was. Folding my hands behind my head, I settled in, laying on my back.

After a few minutes, Keith turned onto his side, pressing his cold hands against my side. Hissing at the cold, I recoiled, but then realized that Keith was probably asleep and it wasn't his fault that he had poor circulation. Or whatever. I let him curl up next to me, his cold hands against my ribs, warm breath floating across my chest.

I slept well.


	28. Dinner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance, out of samoa, arrive in their neew destination, so they stop to grab a bite to eat

_Keith_

"That's it! I'm done! I'm never going on one of those ever again! Lance, at first, I liked it, I thought it was cool, but I've spent more time in an airplane in one month than anyone should have to in their whole lifetime!"

Lance, deliriously exhausted, nodded and smiled as we walked up the ramp from the plane that we'd just spent a good 12 hours in. 12 hours of absolute hell. 

"Hopefully, that's the last time we should have to fly," Lance replied thoughtfully and I felt a pang in my chest. He was right. This was our last stop. By process of elimination, I knew that this journey would be the 'find a forest' task, which I was actually looking forward to a lot. 

Plants seemed like a common theme on my list, I guess, but it was only because we didn't have many plants down in the Underworld, just some terrariums and aquariums with plants that could use chemosynthesis or depend on the artificial sunlamps we had. But trees and flowering plants were foreign to me, so I wanted to see them up here, in the Midworld. 

As we emerged into the airport, I was shocked to discover familiarity with the environment. Especially with the signs everywhere. Japanese characters? I turned to the angel beside me, who was hefting his bag on his shoulder. I, too, carried a tote with some keepsakes, my dagger from the SAL, and other mementos and such I'd collected, along with some clothes. 

"Are we in Japan?" I asked, squinting around at the giant airport, which was even more crowded than the one in San Jose. 

"Yeah," Lance smiled, "Good Job."

I looked around the airport in admiration. It's giant, cavernous infrastructure was serious and businesslike, and a little intimidating if I had to admit it. I knew Japanese fluently, as well as a multitude of other languages that Father had made me study, but in the books I had read at home, the culture of Japan had always intrigued me. I was glad that Lance had picked this location for our final destination.

"Alright..." Lance said, looking at his phone with concentration. "So we gained 5 hours, which is going to be hell adjusting to, but it's nothing we haven't experienced before. Jet Lag is a bitch but we can sleep it off. Right now it's 6:00 pm and our hotel is about..." he paused, typing something into his phone, "45 minutes away." He looked up at me, cocking his head to the side, "Do you wanna grab something to eat?"

"Oh, hell yeah."

...

"Lance..." I muttered under my breath, "This is a lot fancier than I was expecting."

"That's why we're wearing tuxes," he muttered back, then gave the waitress a brilliant smile as she poured us each a glass of red wine.

"I'll be back in a moment to take your orders, sirs," she said politely, then whisked away, leaving the pricey wine on the table. 

We were seated at a table-for-two in a dimly-lit restaurant, live jazz playing somewhere in the background as elegant patrons in sharp suits and floor-length dresses dined gracefully on the foreign food. 

Lance had been smart to make us change into suitable clothing at the airport, even if I'd groaned a little, I appreciated it now- we probably would have been denied entry if we'd asked for a table in jeans and t-shirts. 

Lance had provided me with a black suit with a red tie and himself with a white suit and blue tie. Now that I thought about it, we kind of matched. 

I looked down at the menu that I held, scanning over words and dishes that I'd never heard of before. Biting my lip, I looked around at the tables around us, surveying the food that others were eating. Mostly sushi, I confirmed. I decided to play it safe with california and spicy tuna rolls while Lance ordered Katsudon. 

"What's that?" I asked him after we'd ordered. 

He gave me a guilty smile. "I take it you've never seen 'Yuri on Ice', then."

Confused, I started to ask him what he meant, but the angel interrupted me, asking me if there was anything else I wanted to do here before we arrived at our final stop. 

I felt my throat close up. I almost didn't want to leave.

No- I definitely didn't.

But I had to. And after I returned to the Underworld once again, I wouldn't ever see Lance again.

Pushing the awful thoughts out of my mind, I refocused, discussing the different places we could go before the last attraction. Our conversation was light, but I knew that we both felt the same dread creeping over our spirits, knowing that our time was growing short.

When our food arrived, Lance held out his glass to me, his eyes flashing with the flame of the candle on our table. "To us," he said simply. 

I clinked my glass against his. "To us."

...

One bottle of wine and a plate of assorted mochis later, Lance and I were struggling to keep our composure, lips pressed together as we kept from giggling, our cheeks rosy and our movements clumsy. 

As Lance signed the check with a flourish and tried his best to conjure up the correct amount of bills that we needed to pay without looking odd, I'd lounged lazily back in my seat, yawning as I struggled to act moderately sober. 

"Okiiie dokiiie," Lance drawled, snapping the check-holder closed and scooting his seat away from the table, shooking me a lopsided smirk, "We're way too drunk for this."

I nodded solemnly, whispering, "Absolutely shitfaced."

Lance erupted in a fit of giggles, trying hard to contain himself and failing. Our waitress gave us a deserved glare and we darted out of the restaurant, our arms around each other's shoulders, snickering to each other as we wandered out onto the sidewalk. 

Lance pointed to the street before us. "Remember that one time when-" he hiccupped, "when you almost got hit by a car 'cause you didn't know how to cross a street?"

I scowled at him. "I know how to cross a street."

"Riiight," Lance nodded, wide-eyed. His breath smelled stale, lips tinted dark red from the wine and I wondered if they tasted like it too. Swinging my head away from him, my rationality scolded me, catching me just in time. 

"We'd better call and Uber," Lance groaned, and did so with a few clumsy taps on his phone, explaining with a stunning act of sobriety where we were and where we needed to go. "They'll be here soon," he whispered to me, his lips accidentally brushing the shell of my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.

Suddenly uncomfortable, I pushed away from the angel, then, feeling bad, pretended to look for a place to sit. I knew that sober Lance would have noticed my distaste at the physical touch, but drunk Lance was as giggly as he was oblivious. I was thankful when the Uber arrived.

...

"I miss Hunk's," I muttered, dumbfounded, as we entered our hotel room. It was, by far, the nicest one we'd stayed at, so much so that I felt uncomfortable even standing on the soft, off-white carpet. A kingsized bed took up most of the front room, but there was also a small table with three chairs, a kitchen area with a kettle and teacups set up on the stovetop, a fridge, and a microwave. Sparkling water sat on the table and there was a sweet little sitting area by the balcony with pillows and a small, low-sitting sofa. 

Lance walked over to the balcony, gazing out over the city, and smiled sadly. "I know. I wish we could have stayed longer." He turned to look at me, the light from outside vaguely illuminating his silhouette. I could still see how he forced his smile, though. "But we have a new adventure here, waiting for us."

Again, that pang in my chest. This time, it almost felt real. I pressed my hand against where my heart would be, inhaling deeply. Frowning, I dismissed it as nothing.

"Well, it's getting late," I said, feeling the weight of both the alcohol and jet lag seep into my pores, bringing with them the inevitability of sleep. I knew that I'd be out as soon as my head hit the pillow, which I was thankful for. I needed some good sleep to recharge and take a break from all the thoughts that had been bombarding my head all of today.

Lance and I changed separately, which, again, I was grateful for, but I then realized that, unlike at Hunk's, there was no air mattress here. We'd be sharing the bed. As I entered the room again, now wearing soft flannel sweatpants, Lance looked up at me. It seemed like he'd sobered up a little bit.

"Do you mind?" he asked, looking a little distressed, "I just figured..." 

Something about the way he said it made me feel frustrated, but I nodded anyway. "It's fine. Just stay on your side of the bed." 

I didn't know why I said it, but I couldn't take it back either, even when Lance's hopeful eyes sunk like the Titanic, his sweet smile dropping off his face.

Nodding, he slipped under the covers, his back facing me. I turned off the lights. 


	29. Lux and Nox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> told from mister's point of view- keith and lance, the twins and matt and adam, and mister's own relationship with missus

_Mister_

It happened so fast, I almost thought I imagined it. A quick shock, a little jump in my system. It happened while I was in the Throne Room, alone, looking over an ancient book that Kuron had found. It was full of spells and all sorts of magic, but nothing that really interested me. 

But, as I had been turning the page, a jolt of electricity shot up my arm to my chest, then down through my body. I'd dropped the book, snarling, thinking that it had been the object to cause the shock but, as I calmed down, I realized that I actually recognized the electricity.

It was, to my supreme annoyance, the shock of Missus' halo. That was one thing I certainly hated about her- to get your attention, she'd just send you a shock of electricity. Not even a 'Hello, how are you?'. 

The last time that she'd called me like this, it had been when Keith was born. It had been a long time since I'd heard from her. Scowling, I stood, dusting off my suit and picking up the book I'd dropped. 

_"Shiro, Kuron. I need you."_

In seconds, the twins were in the Throne Room, panting slightly but otherwise attentive and alert. Placing the book on a shelf on the wall, I grimaced at the thought of what I had to do next. 

"Boys," I said carefully. Shiro stood stock-still, and I was aware of his anxiety. I'm sure he thought that he did something wrong, even though he couldn't be more perfect as his job. On the other hand, Kuron was slouching, looking bored. When I looked to him, his yellow eyes bore into mine, jet black hair damp with sweat.

"Missus has called me for a meeting. I need to go to the Midworld for a while. You and the Blade are perfectly capable of holding down the fort here, eh? I'll only be gone for the night, back in the morning, and I expect everything to be perfectly normal when I get back. Am I clear?"

Shiro nodded tightly. "Yes, sir."

I looked at Kuron. With what looked like extreme effort, he straightened, saluting me with a lopsided grin. "You got it, boss."

Sighing, I cracked a smile. "Good. I'll see you later. Tell Ulaz, Thace, and Kolivan what's happening. I won't be long."

Shiro and Kuron nodded, then walked out of the room in sync as they headed down the hallway to the Blade's quarters. 

I had to admit, I was a little nervous to see Missus again. Before heading up, I checked my reflection in the mirror, smoothing back my hair and straightening my tie.

Then, with a grimace, I headed to the Upperworld.

...

Our meeting place had been the same for years. We'd met here when we were children. When I was born in the core of the Earth, I'd felt a pull- a deep, longing desire and warmth that led me up through the layers of molten rock and sediment, up through the crust of the Earth and into the ocean's waiting arms. The first thing I remember seeing was the night sky above me- cloudy and grey and without stars, but it was the  _sky_. 

The cold, rough waters of the ocean had led me to the beach, where I now stood. Back then, I hadn't known anything. I hadn't known who I was or what my purpose was. But now...

As soon as I landed, I almost doubled-over in shock. I'd forgotten how much Missus' presence affected me physically. I struggled to stay upright, the rushing feeling of warmth and  _love_  almost overwhelming. 

Standing before Missus was like standing under a waterfall. Wincing, I straightened with effort, rolling my shoulders back and walking towards the figure several meters away from me. She glowed softly in the darkness, her wings folded neatly behind her, golden halo turning slowly.

As much as she tried to hide it, I knew that she was affected by my presence just as much as I was to hers. Stepping forward through the sand, I looked around. Thankfully, the island hadn't been industrialized yet. It was still just as beautiful and tropical as I remembered it. 

"Hello, Nox." Her voice sent shivers down my spine and, as she turned, I felt my breath get stuck in my throat.

"Lux," I greeted in return. She would always be the most beautiful woman in the Worlds to me. High cheekbones, straight nose, soft brown that reached just past her shoulders and was tossed into light waves. Her eyes were hazel and framed by long, thick lashes. I let my eyes wander her face, taking it all in after all these years.

Lux pressed her red lips together, expression unreadable. I kept walking until I stood directly in front of her, standing only a few inches taller than her, as she was wearing platform sandals that raised her height. Normally, I was almost a full head taller than her, but it was almost nicer to be able to look at her evenly. 

"Have you felt it too, Nox?" Lux asked me, eyes drifting across the beach. 

I paused. "Felt what?"

Lux frowned. "Your son. He's been here."

Squinting, I looked around the beach, spreading my senses. It took me a moment, but, eventually, I slowly felt the essence of Keith's aura. Stepping back, I reached out further. Yes. He'd been here. I winced. He was with one of Lux's angels. And a  _mortal_. Two of them, actually. 

But the most disturbing part of all was how light Keith's aura had gotten. It was more grey than black, which was alarming. I turned on Lux, who looked  _pleased_. 

"What's going on?" I demanded, fear bubbling up in my chest.

Lux crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head to the side. "You knew this would happen, Nox. Don't act like this is my fault. Because it's not."

I ran a hand through my hair, eyes desperately searching the sand for any shred of Keith's aura. "He'd been untainted until your offspring corrupted him," I accused.  _No, no, no. No, my midnight boy. My perfect starlight creation. My little prince, no._  

Lux's eyes went dark. "Don't talk about my son like that," she said darkly, her halo picking up speed. "You knew that this would happen. It was prophesized!"

"You know I don't believe in that shit," I snarled, "and I'm not about to let him be corrupted by one of yours."

Lux's eyes went wild and a bolt of electricity flew from her halo, hitting the sand beside me. "'One of mine'?" she asked, face dangerously dark. "Nox, do you remember what your twins did to my sons? Shall I remind you?" In a flash of light, a glowing orb appeared in front of Lux, displaying an image of two angels. One had a stoic, numb face, the other sobbing.

"If anyone should be worried, it should be  _me_. My son is out there somewhere, with your devil, and if Keith is anything like his brothers, Lance is in danger."

"Don't accuse my sons of something like that. You know perfectly well that your spawn went off, cheated on the Twins, and then rubbed it in their faces. It's no wonder that the Twin's came home."

"Cheated?" Lux asked incredulously. "Do you know who you're talking to? Angels are pure and loyal. I watched the whole thing myself, Nox. The Twins accused Matt and Adam of cheating, then left."

"If Shiro and Kuron accused Matt and Adam of cheating, then they must have truly believed it. They wouldn't fabricate a story like that," I replied angrily. I remembered how the Twins had been when they came home. They were broken. Hurt. Angry. Alone. Not unlike the apparition that Lux had just shown me of her angels. They truly cared about the angels- I knew that they wouldn't leave them without good reason. 

"So it was a misunderstanding, is that what you're saying?" 

I frowned, trying to think. "I guess so," I replied quietly. 

Lux sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, I didn't come here to yell at you. Or talk about the Twins and Matt and Adam. I came here to talk about Keith and Lance."

"Lance? Is that the angel's name?" 

"Yes," Lux confirmed. She smiled, which made my knees weak. "He's a wonderful angel. One of my best."

"Have you been watching them?" I asked.

Lux shrugged, her white dress shifting in the breeze that came off the ocean. "Sometimes. They didn't get along at first. Keith broke Lance's nose." I had a silent victory in my head. Attaboy, Keith. "But, recently, they've gotten closer. Friends. Closer than that."

I laughed awkwardly. "Why are all my sons gay?" I asked aloud. 

Lux grinned. "Well, Shiro's bi, if that makes you feel any better. And Kuron... I think that Kuron will pretty much flirt with anyone." 

It made me a little uncomfortable that Lux knew so much about the Twins and Keith. For the hundredth time, I wished that I could observe the Midworld like she could- look over Keith and whatever else happened up here. I'd never really gotten a vacation from my job in the Underworld, so it could be nice to explore it.

Lux looked up at me through shy eyes. "You know what this means, right?" she asked. "I think the prophesy is coming true. I think that they'll be the Bridge. Really, Nox, I do."

I sighed, my chest feeling empty and hurt. "I know," I told her quietly. "I just wish that I had more time with him. You have hundreds of angels, Lux. I have my three devils and that's it. And... if what you're saying is true, then all of them will leave me."

Lux looked at me empathetically. Her hazel eyes were deep and beautiful. She really was gorgeous. "You know how to create devils, Nox. You know that you're alone by choice."

I chuckled softly. "Maybe kids just aren't for me."

Lux reached up and pressed her palm to my cheek, turning my face so that I had to look at her. I closed my eyes. Her skin was warm and soft and it sent little tingles all over my face.

" _You_  get to decide what's best for you, Nox. This is good for Keith and Lance. They're meant to be. The union is what we need." I felt her breath on my face.

Opening my eyes, I said the words that had haunted me for thousands of years. "I just wish that it could have been us."

And then Lux kissed me and I felt like I was melting. Her hands held the sides of my face and I slid one palm to the small of her back, the other to her neck. I felt the feathers of her wings against the back of my hand. Her lips were soft against mine and I remembered how much I'd missed her like this. Undone. Perfect. Calm and completely herself. 

Lux pulled back, though, her eyes shining with tears. "I know, Nox. I know." She kissed me one last time, then stepped back, opened her wings, and lifted into the sky. 

I crumbled to the ground, my head in my hands, as I felt my heart break again and again and again. For Lux. For the Twins. For Keith. 


	30. Angelic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance share a special moment <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall im sorry for not updating in so long

_Lance_

I don't know why I was crying. It was stupid, really. Just me overreacting as usual. But I wasn't going to just lie to myself and say that what Keith had said hadn't hurt. " _Just stay on your side of the bed_ ," he'd said, face unfeeling.

And, with those words that he'd said, I realized that everything that I thought was true about him was fabricated. I don't know why I thought that maybe, somewhere deep down in his heart, he cared about me. But, of course, he didn't. Of course, he could never care about me, love me, whatever it was that was between us.

Because he was a devil and I was an angel. And I could love him all I wanted but he'd never really love me back. He wasn't able to. So I was resigned to just loving him from afar.

I was sitting on the pillows by the balcony, a bottle of wine beside me on the floor. I was already drunk, but I liked the taste of it and I already felt sad. My wings were out and wrapped around my shoulders, but I still felt cold and alone. 

Mother used to tell me about the different types of love. She'd tell me that we, as angels, loved everything. But that it was categorized. 8 types of love: Erotic, Affectionate, Familiar, Playful, Obsessive, Enduring, Self, and Selfless.

I don't know which loves I felt for Keith, but I knew that it was something more than the angelic love. I wanted to hold him, protect him, forgive him and accept him. I didn't care that he was a devil.

Rubbing my eyes, I asked myself how I'd gotten into this mess. It'd all started back in that tiny town on the East Coast. I'd been sent up there to find Keith and had been walking on the sidewalk when I noticed a figure about to step out into the road. They hadn't seemed to notice the car racing towards them.

Acting on impulse, I'd lunged forward and caught their collar, yanking them back before they were hit. They'd whirled, eyes wide with annoyance and surprise.

" _Do you have a death wish? There's a crosswalk for a reason_ ," I'd said, then realized that he was the exact devil I was looking for. I knew from his eyes. They were unlike anything I'd ever seen- dark and full of knowledge. Immediately, I'd reached out for his aura, feeling the silky blackness slide over my skin. It was nearly suffocating but I was so excited to have found him that I didn't care.

Now, I reached out to Keith's aura again. Under the layers of sleep and frustration, I felt the same smoothness that had been there so many weeks before. Was it just me, though, or was it lighter, somehow? 

Maybe it was just his prolonged stay in the Midworld. 

Sniffling, I looked out at the city of Kyoto, wondering if tomorrow would be our last day together. Would Keith just be pulled down into the depths of the Earth when we finished the final task? Would I have to bring him down there myself? That was impossible- only mortals and devils could enter the Underworld.

And then what? I'd return to the Upperworld with Mom and Matt and Adam. Somehow, that didn't seem like it was enough. Did I actually belong anywhere?

The tears started again. Maybe not.

I was trying to be as quiet as I could, but Keith was, unfortunately, a light sleeper. I heard him shift in the blankets in the bed and I hastily wiped my tears, sniffing loudly to try and clear my sinuses.

"Halohead?" Keith grumbled. I didn't turn. 

"Yeah? I'm good, don't worry. Go back to bed."

Keith grunted. I waited for a few seconds, hopeful that he'd listen to me, but after a moment, I heard the sheets being thrown back and Keith padding across the carpet towards me. He sat next to me on a pillow, rubbing his eyes.

"What's up?" he asked, eyes heavily-lidded from exhaustion.

I laughed nervously, shaking my head. "I told you, I'm fine." 

"Angels aren't supposed to lie."

"Devils aren't supposed to care."

"Well, I do. So spill."

"It doesn't matter."

"You matter."

"There's nothing you can do about it."

"I don't care."

I sighed, knowing that this was a battle I was going to lose. I turned to face Keith, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them. "Do you hate me?" I whispered, my tears starting up again.

Keith looked alarmed at my tears, a little unsure of what to do. "Do I hate you?" he repeated.

I nodded, wiping my nose on my shirt sleeve. His eyes were trained on me, dark and piercing. 

"No."

"Then why'd you get so pissed? Did I do something wrong?" I reached for the wine bottle, aiming for another swig of it, but Keith pulled it away, placing it behind him and moving to sit in front of me. 

"No, Halohead. Never."

I offered him a watery smile, unconvinced. His silhouette stood out against the lights of the city behind him, creating an auratic glow that made him look like he was glowing. It made him look like an angel. 

Keith sighed, looking behind my shoulders at my wings. "I'm just confused. With myself."

I tilted my head to the side, taken aback. "Confused with yourself? You're always so sure, though."

Keith shrugged. "It's hard to put it in words. My heart feels like it's being pulled in so many different directions."

I mustered the will to laugh a little, a choked sound that just sounded sad, as I said, "But you don't have a heart."

Keith smiled back at me but shook his head. He reached forward and took my hand, pulling it towards him and placing it on his bare chest, where his heart would have been. His skin was warm on my cold palms and he kept his hand on my wrist. 

I raised myself up to kneel in front of Keith, sliding my other hand to rest on the side of his neck, my thumb resting on the soft divot in the middle of his collarbone. Keith inhaled shakily and looked at me with imploring eyes. 

"What are you confused about?" I whispered, moving my hands up to cup his cheeks. His eyes were locked with mine but there was something innocent and afraid behind them, a rare vulnerability that I'd never seen before. 

Keith pressed his cheek into my palm, his eyes closing. The light behind him shadowed his features, but at this close, I could see every single detail of his face. "I've never felt like this," he murmured, "and it scares me."

I swooned a little inside. 

"What do you feel?" I felt my heart begin to beat faster. The hotel room was silent and all I could hear was our breathing. 

Keith hesitated, eyes falling from my eyes to my lips and back. 

"I feel like kissing you." 

Keith tilted his head up and I leaned down, brushing my lips against his slowly. It felt magnetic. I held still for a few seconds, lips millimeters above his, our noses touching and our eyes holding each other. 

But then, Keith's lashes fluttered shut and I couldn't help it. Gently, I lowered my lips again and kissed him. Everything melted away in that moment. Mom and Mister, Matt and Adam and the Twins, the Plan, the room, the world. It was cosmic.

Keith's lips were chapped but they tasted like... like I don't know what, but it was intoxicating. Slowly, he moved his hands to my waist, reaching under my shirt and pressing his fingers over my hips. I shivered at his touch, aware how hard it was for him, this contact, but he wasn't holding back so neither was I. 

Keith softly caught my bottom lip between his teeth, which was surprisingly hot, and I pressed closer to him, sliding my hands up through his silky hair.  _Damn, Mullet._  

I felt Keith pull away, so I opened my eyes, nervous, but he instead moved down to place soft kisses on my neck. I swallowed, letting a shaky breath escape my lungs as he picked the slope where my neck met my shoulder, slightly above my collarbone, and delicately bit the skin.

I didn't know how it was happening or why on Earth he kissed me back, but I wasn't about to stop him. Keith's skin was soft and warm and his hands held me gently, fingers slowly sliding up my stomach to reach my ribs. 

As Keith worked on what I could only assume was a hickie, I ran my hands through his hair, trying my best not to move. My wings quivered slightly behind me but I didn't have the focus to retract them. 

When Keith finished his work, he leaned back, eyes moving from my neck to my eyes. I leaned forward and rested our foreheads together, closing my eyes. "I love you." Keith jumped slightly, alarmed, and I watched him try to search for something to say, but before he could, I interrupted. "I know, I know. You don't have to say it back. And you kind of already knew since I'm, y'know,  _obligated_  to love everything, but I just wanted you to know."

Keith nodded slowly. "Okay."

I smiled. "Okay."

Keith blushed, looking down. "Can you... kiss me again?"

I laughed softly and shook my head in wonder. I swear that's one thing I never expected to hear. "Yeah, Mullet," I whispered before tilting up his chin and kissing the devil softly. He was gorgeous and I'd never felt more complete before in my whole life. 

But, in the back of my head, I couldn't push the thoughts out of my head. Keith was a devil so this couldn't possibly mean to him what it meant to me. So as I kissed Keith with my heart beating so fast I thought I'd die and my hands in his hair, I knew that this wouldn't last forever. 


	31. Melancholy Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance wake up on the morning of their last day together

_Keith_

Dad once told me what his first memory was. He'd explained a warmth, intense and radiating, and that he could literally feel himself being pieced together like a puzzle. He was born in the core of the Earth, just as Missus was born in the clouds above.

I'd never asked if the warmth was pleasant. I'd never asked about his memories- my father was a man who lived in the day and didn't look back on the past. He'd told me countless times: "The past is for the mourners. And we are the kings of the mourners, Keith, so just look forward."

But, I now know what my interpretation of that warmth is. It's Lance's body against mine as he sleeps. It's his soft lips and sweet eyes and calm breath on my ear, his long fingers in my hair and his spinning halo.

I could bask in this light for centuries. I could relish in Lance's warmth for eternity, just the two of us, I swear. He was intoxicating.

And yet, at the same time, I felt a deep pain in my chest every time I touched him. Half of me wanted more while the other half begged me to stop. My father's words echoed in my head the whole night I slept beside Lance, over and over again, him telling me that I was incapable of love.

I knew that, on some level, that was true. This wasn't natural. I felt like caving in and exploding at the same time, my non-existent heart both yearning for Lance's touch and recoiling from it.

My night was sleepless, but I stayed beside my angel the whole time, feeling his breath against my chest as I curled around him, keeping him safe from everything ugly. I would stay with this beautiful boy even if I died trying.

...

Lance woke up around 8, which was usual for him, but instead of getting up out of bed, he turned from his side onto his back to face me. Yawning, he smiled up at me sleepily.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," I murmured.

He blinked slowly. "Did last night actually happen?" he asked.

I tilted my head to the side. "Did we actually kiss?"

Lance nodded, a smile slowly forming on his lips. In response, I lightly kissed the tip of his nose. "You tell me."

Sliding out of bed, I walked over to the balcony. Lance's bottle of wine still stood by the pillows, cork beside it on the floor. I stepped over the pillows and flung open the curtains, letting the sunlight wash over the room.

Lance sat up in bed, his halo shining in the morning light, and sighed deeply. "We've got one thing on the agenda today," he informed me as he slipped out of bed, heading over to the coffee maker.

"And what is that?" I asked him, looking down and over the city that was splayed beneath our hotel room.

Lance winked at me. "Still a secret."

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "You and your secrets, Halohead," I muttered, heading to the bathroom to shower.

I knew that today would be our last day together. I hadn't told Lance, but I was beginning to feel my Energy return to me. Honestly, I was surprised that he hadn't noticed my steadily darkening aura. If it kept going on like this, I was sure that I'd be able to have enough Energy to return home at the end of the day.

Not that I wanted to, though. Why did this have to happen so late? Why hadn't I kissed him as soon as I'd met him? These thoughts and more followed me into the shower.

Looking down at my body, pale and sinewy, I wondered what Lance saw in me. He was an angel, for Mistress' sake. What did he see in me?

Then again, though, what did I see in him?

Loyal. Kind. Humorous and easy-going. Sweet. Calm. Beautiful.

He was absolutely stunning.

It made the thought of leaving him almost too much to bear.

...

Lance and I ended up drinking our coffee out on the balcony, sipping the strong drink from tiny teacups, the early morning air floating over our skin. Lance was looking out over the city with an interesting expression- curious and intrigued, but I just looked at him.

I looked at my watch. "What time should we leave?"

Lance shrugged. "Whenever you want. It's open all day, but it will probably get a little more busy in the afternoon." He paused. "This is  _your_  last day, Keith."

I looked away. That was right. Lance could visit the Midworld whenever he wanted- I was the one who was going to be stuck underground for the rest of my life.

So, selfishly, I let us lounge in the hotel room for another hour, kissing Lance's neck and face, channel-surfing, packing up our things. I decided to bring everything I now owned in a backpack with me- I didn't know if I'd have time to come back here to get it after we finished our day at Lance's chosen location.

Lance watched with big, sad eyes as I packed away my belongings. A poppy pressed in the pages of a travel book. My ticket from the Gorillaz concert. My knife from the SAL. A tiny bottle of black sand from the shores of Samoa. I wondered what my keepsake from this location would be. Maybe it was the memory of Lance's lips.

Lance periodically started to ask questions, but never finished them, like, "What if I-?" or "Can you-?"

I knew what he was trying to do: somehow divert the inevitability of my departure. But my father had been clear. Once I was done, I was to return home. Maybe, in a few thousand years, I would become the next King of the Underworld.

I had responsibilites to my home just as I had responsibilities to my heart, and the battle against each other was ripping at my soul. I didn't want to have to chose between Lance and Dad, happiness and power,  _love_ and loneliness.

I was too young to be making these decisions. Too inexperienced. I knew that my father would know what to do, but I also knew that my father had given up everything for his position now. He'd given up Missus, his whole life, and any chance of happiness and love. And he was suffering.

But at the same time, I couldn't just abandon him and the Twins and the Blade. My duties as the Dark Prince were set in stone with no replacement.

So my situation was futile. It was bad either way. I just had to choose the lesser of two evils.


	32. Hated and Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance visit the final destination of their journey together, but something goes wrong

_Lance_

I was uncharacteristically nervous. Never before had I been afraid of what Keith would think on one of our adventures, but now, as we sat in the taxi shoulder-to-shoulder, I felt my nerves twitching with anxiety.

This was, after all, the last stop, so maybe I was nervous because of that, but maybe it was because I'd never been here before. I had merely researched it and decided upon it because of it's beauty, but what if Keith didn't like it?

Speaking of which, the devil beside me seemed perfectly at ease. His lips were lifted in a soft smile, something I wasn't used to, and he'd let me tie his hair back in a ponytail. It was getting outrageously long, might I add. Another thing I wasn't used to was Keith's hand on my thigh, his fingertips on the inseam of my joggers.

My lips were a little swollen from his kisses, but I didn't mind. The hickeys were new, dark purple and red and hiding just below the hem of my sweater. I blushed at the thought of last night and earlier this morning- he'd been needy in a way that was extremely attractive and made him seem vulnerable, both of which I adored.

But now, he was the same devil he'd always been, just his hand was just a few inches from my-

"You can get out here. Your total is ¥1400," the cab driver interrupted my thoughts. I handed him the money before stepping out of the cab after Keith, blinking as the early evening sun hit my eyes.

A slow stream of people trickled into a small walkway framed by a sign that read "Arashiyama Bamboo Grove". Keith's eyes went wide as he looked beyond the sign to the tall stalks of bamboo that waved slightly in the breeze.

"Wow... he murmured and I felt his hand slip into mine, interlacing our fingers.

I smiled softly. "Let's go."

...

The grove was absolutely stunning. We didn't mind the crowds that much- even with the quiet chatter and occasional crowds of people on tour guides- because of the beautiful scenery that surrounded us.

Light filtered through the leaves and stalks of bamboo above us, scattering moving splotches of sunlight across the trail and our faces. The wind whispered through the bowing bamboo, ruffling my hair and Keith's loose t-shirt.

It was almost like we were underwater, breathing in the fresh scents of life and completely secluded and alone. At one point, we were able to escape to a section of the trail where no one was walking and Keith turned on me, pushing me back lightly until I bumped into the railing of the trail. His eyes were bright with sunlight and happiness and he kissed me softly, his hands resting lightly on my hips.

"I want to stay here forever," he told me, pressing his face into the curve of my neck.

"Let's never leave," I joked softly, but immediately regretted it when Keith's remorseful eyes met mine, his pretty pink lips parting slightly.

"I wish we could," he whispered, pulling me closer and closer until I thought I'd drown in him. Keith's eyes were oceanic and soft and captivating and every time I looked at him, I wanted to dive in and hold him to my chest, let him leave marks on my skin so that I'd remember him forever, let him sink into the crevices of my mind and wallow in my heart.

The desire and longing that I'd felt since the day I'd met him had turned from hopefulness to friendship to love, and I truly believed that, if we only had the time, I would truly fall for him. But it was too late-  _we_ were too late.

My devil, with his eyes like galaxies and soul like a nebula, was consuming me whole. His love was a black hole and I didn't mind falling in. I  _wanted_  to. I wanted  _him_.

The bamboo forest, a sea of green, swallowed us as we delved deeper and deeper into it's mysteriously calming depths, my breath catching in my throat every time we turned around a bend and a new display of beauty was presented to me.

Keith's hand tethered me to the ground as I imagined my consciousness floating through the tall stalks of bamboo, the leaves on my skin and the light on my face. It was paradise. And it was over too soon.

...

Since we had left the hotel mid-afternoon, ate lunch at a little deli, and then walked around and shopped until early-evening, we emerged from the bamboo grove at around 6pm, which was fine with me- the sunset over the roof of the Tenryū-ji Temple was gorgeous, spraying the sky with pink and red and orange.

The Temple had a small forested area around it that enclosed a small, serene pond. Keith and I walked under the large, leafy oaks and sighed, breathing in the tranquil air.

"That was perfect," Keith sighed. I had been afraid that he'd break the silence, telling me that it was time for him to leave. His eyes told me that he knew that he had to.

I reached for his hand, but as my fingers closed around his palm, he yelped, jerking away. I stared in shock at Keith's hand as the skin I'd touched turned red and irritated, like a rash or a burn. Keith hissed in pain.

Instinctively, I reached forward, trying to comfort him or see what had happened, but the devil stepped back and, to my sickening surprise, he recoiled, eyes flashing with what I could only assume was fear.

Hurt and confused, I stepped back. "Keith?" I asked, unsure.

Keith cradled his hand to his chest, looking up at me. His eyes had darkened. They were no longer the beautiful galaxies I loved. His shoulders hunched, Keith growled at me, an inhuman, frightening noise from the back of his throat. It ripped through my heart.

I watched in horror as the red burn slowly began to creep up Keith's hand, reaching his wrist and then his forearm,  _smoking_. "What'd you do to me?" Keith cried out, piercing the tranquil air with his voice.

"Keith, I-" but before I could answer, the devil before me had sprouted his horns, rivulets of blood trickling down his forehead to his eyebrows, falling down his cheeks like tears. And there were real, salt-water tears too, from both Keith and I.

"You're breaking me, Lance! What are you doing, you're hurting me! I'm breaking!" he screamed, his tail slashing back and forth as he writhed. I felt ugly, awful, disgusting, but all I could do was watch. I was too afraid- I didn't want to hurt him again.

As the red burn spread up Keith's arm, to his shoulder and neck, I noticed a dark, swirling wind starting to form around him, bending and weaving and snaking as it grew thicker and thicker. I realized with a start that it was Keith's Energy, dark and sinister, rising from the ground itself, as if supplying him from it's home in the Underworld.

It began picking up pace, swirling around the devil. I reached out, trying to break through it, but as my fingers graced the strands of Energy, a shock of electricity leapt up my arm, sending a tremor of pain through my body.

"Just cut it off, Keith! Please," I yelled over the wind, screaming at the devil above his own howling. "It doesn't have to end like this!"

In one final, agonizing moment, the burn spread down Keith's chest to where his heart would have been. Keith's eyes locked with mine, all black, malicious, hurt and angry. And he whispered his next words to me, barely audible, but I heard it louder than his screams.

"I hate you," Keith whispered. His Energy came crashing in.


	33. Sons of Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith reunites with his family in the underworld and makes a shocking discovery

_Keith_  
  
Everything fucking hurt. Pain was all I knew. As I lay in the darkness, it consumed me, filling my every pore. The last thing that I could remember was Lance reaching out, his fingers brushing my palm, but everything after that was dark and blank, like trying to read a book with empty pages.   
  
Even thinking of Lance hurt. A deep, hollow pain in my chest. I thought back to that time at the SAL, when I'd been surrounded by those cadets, their hard, judging eyes and sneers. And then Lance's voice, his eyes frantic as he rushed to get me.   
  
I could just barely remember the feel of his wings sweeping around me as he saved me. All I wanted was for him to save me again. Save me from this hell. I didn't know where he was, why he wasn't here.   
  
 _Where are you? Lance, please. I'm here. Come save me._ _  
_  
It felt wrong, being so helpless, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't move, couldn't cry out, couldn't tell Lance where I was. I didn't even know where I was, though, so maybe it was pointless.  
  
I slipped in and out of consciousness, feeling hands on my forehead, voices that spoke in a language that I knew, but didn't understand. Nothing made sense. I didn't know why Lance hadn't saved me yet- was it not clear that I was in need of saving?  
  
Once in a while, I could feel my lips being parted, then something smooth sliding to my throat. I had no choice but to swallow. I missed Lance with my whole being, but that just made everything hurt more. All I knew was pain. All I could do was wait.  
  
...  
  
"Keith, wake up. It's time to wake up."  
  
My lips formed the word before I could think. "Lance?"  
  
A sigh. A pause. "No, my boy. It's me." A thick accent that I couldn't place. The smell of smoke.   
  
"Father?" I tried to open my eyes but was met with an obstacle over my face. A wet cloth, I realized.   
  
A sigh again, this time of relief. "Yes. Do not try to get up, you're still weak."  
  
"Where am I?" I asked. My voice was weak and rough. It felt like I had swallowed sandpaper.   
  
"You're home, Keith. Finally home. You've been on a long journey, but you've finally returned to me. "  
  
I couldn't help it. I needed to know. "Where's Lance?"  
  
"The angel?" My father's voice was tight.   
  
"Yes. I was with him when everything went dark," I said dumbly, trying to reach into my memories to explain.   
  
My father didn't say anything for a moment, leaving my mind to fill in the blanks. What had happened? Was Lance okay? I opened my mouth to ask, but my father's words rushed to stop my questions.   
  
"I assume he's in the Upperworld, where he belongs." I could sense the uneasy frustration in my father's aura. It seemed like the mentions of Lance were upsetting him so, out of respect, I didn't push it, even though now I had more questions than ever.  
  
So I changed the subject to something that had been on my mind for weeks- "Father, do you know who Lotor is?"  
  
"No. Is this another angel?" My father was still upset.  
  
"I met him in the Midworld. I went on a mission with the Stationary Angel Legion and we infiltrated a black market operator's headquarters and, after he ended up taking Lance hostage, he told me that he was your son."  
  
I felt my father shift beside me. "What? My son?"  
  
"And he knew everything, too, stuff about devils and angels and the Twins. He even told me that-"  
  
"Hold on, hold on. Slow down, Keith. Where was this?"  
  
I continued to explain exactly what had happened, from entering the building to the short, dangerous fight, to Acxa, the silent savior who, I assumed, was still holding Lotor captive.  
  
After I'd finished, my father had grown restless. I could hear him pacing the floor, his aura sharp and angry. "I need to go address this problem. I'll be back soon, my boy. Rest up."  
  
With a surge of Energy, the room went silent. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and relaxed back against my pillows, sighing heavily. I was back home.   
  
I should've been happy, I guess, but I couldn't get over the emptiness in my chest, the aching feeling of loneliness and despair. Now that I was home, what would happen? Would things just go back to normal? What even was normal?  
  
I was just about to slip back into sleep when I heard knocking. Assuming that it was on my door, I raised my voice above it's low, rough rasp and called out, "Come in!"   
  
I heard the door open, then two pairs of footsteps approach me. I felt a little dizzy and knew that I should be resting, but I couldn't help it. Reaching up to my face with shaking fingers, I pulled the washcloth off my face.   
  
Thankfully, the room was mercifully dark and cool, so I didn't have to squint and adjust my eyes. As I'd expected, the Twins stood in front of me, Shiro on the left side of the bed, Kuron on the right.  
  
"How was your trip?" Shiro asked gently, sitting down on the bed. I folded my legs up to sit criss-cross so that my brothers would have room to sit too. Kuron sat down and nodded thanks, uncharacteristically quiet and calm.   
  
"It was good," I replied, even though so much of it was more than good. "I had a lot of fun."  
  
"How was your guide?" Kuron questioned. His yellow eyes glowed with interest.   
  
I winced. "Lance," I whispered. "I don't know what happened, one moment I was with him, the next I was here. Everything is black."  
  
Shiro tilted his head to the side. "You don't remember?"  
  
I nodded. "The last thing I remember happening was him reaching out to hold my hand," I blushed, realizing what I'd just revealed, "and then everything goes dark."  
  
My brothers looked at each other nervously. Shiro spoke softly, slowly. "Keith, did you have feelings for your guide?"  
  
I blushed deeper, looking away from their imploring eyes. "Yes."  
  
Shiro's inscrutable expression was confusing. "Did he love you?"   
  
"What are you getting at?" I asked, uncomfortable.   
  
Shiro's eyes flashed. Something about the way he was talking made me feel like this was more than just a question. This was an interrogation.  
  
"Did he love you or not, Keith?" Kuron growled.  
  
I shuddered, "Fine! Yes, he said he loved me. This is personal, guys! What's going on?"  
  
Shiro sat back and Kuron hissed, standing from the bed. "This was fucking prophesied, Shiro," he said angrily.   
  
"I know, I know."  
  
I looked between my two brothers, confused and frustrated. "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Shiro ignored me. "Does this mean that he has to perform the Trials?"  
  
Kuron nodded, "It must."  
  
Gathering my Energy and courage, I finally exploded. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" I shouted, immediately breaking into a coughing fit afterward as my throat wailed in protest.   
  
The Twins turned towards me simultaneously, eyes locked on mine, their expressions intense and frightening. Kuron's tail lashed behind him and I winced as Shiro's horns emerged from his forehead.  
  
"When Lance touched you, it was with love. Love, Keith, is poisonous to us, as you must know. So when Lance tried to touch you, it spread like venom in your veins. Instinctively, the Energy and devil inside you came out in a fight-or-flight response, which is why you don't remember what happened.  
  
"Your rational self went dormant as your instincts took over. From there, you probably came down here as fast as you could, where your veins could be cleaned of love."  
  
I stared at Shiro, the pieces slowly falling into the puzzle I'd been trying to solve since the moment I'd met Lance. Did... did I want to be cleaned of Lance's love?  
  
"What are the Trials?" I asked instead. "And what prophecy are you talking about?"  
  
Shiro leaned forward and pulled the covers off of my legs, promptly scooping me up in his arms and carrying me out of the room, Kuron in tow. I struggled only briefly- no matter how cryptic and strange the Twins could be, they were still my brothers and I still trusted them.   
  
"When Father first brought you home, thousands of years ago, a woman died in the Midworld named Haggar. She was a witch, a sorceress, an enchantress. When she passed through our Gates, we couldn't decide if she would go to the Bad or Good afterlife, so, as we do with all undecided cases, we took her to Father."  
  
Shiro was carrying me down a long, narrow hallway that I only vaguely remembered walking through once or twice. I had always thought that it had been a dead end- maybe a wing that had never been finished, but as we approached, I sensed strange energy pulling me closer and closer. It was inviting, warm, powerful. Like Lance.  
  
"When Father surveyed her to decide where she belonged, he came very close to passing her through the Bad gate. But, being the witch she was, she offered Father a deal. A prophecy for the Good afterlife. And Father, being the greedy being that he is, accepted.   
  
Shiro stopped at the end of the hallway, then placed a hand to the stone wall, muttering something incoherent (and probably Latin). For a second, nothing happened, and I expected Kuron to burst out laughing, revealing that the whole thing was a prank, but another moment passed and, with a loud, scraping noise, the wall slid to the side, revealing a dark room.  
  
Shiro shivered as he entered.   
  
The room was mostly empty and was actually pretty small, maybe the size of my bedroom, but it radiated ancient Energy. In the center of the room, a large podium stood, carved entirely from what looked like moonstone.   
  
It was eerily beautiful as it glowed its natural blue-green hue, smooth and flowing evenly into the stone floor like it had risen from the ground on its own. Maybe it had.   
  
Shiro set me down on my feet. And held my shoulders as I steadied myself. I felt like a fawn first learning to walk- shaky legs and wobbly knees. Slowly, I walked up to the podium, careful and anxious. The room was silent.   
  
Standing before the moonstone sculpture, I looked down and let my eyes cross over a small, yellowing piece of paper, a page from an ancient journal, maybe, written in black. Small splatters of the ink could be seen on the paper and it looked too fragile to be touched, so I kept my hands at my sides.  
  
Slowly, I read aloud the words in a voice that wasn't my own.  
  
 _"Born unto you, a boy of night_ _  
_ _  
_ _Born unto Her, a boy of light_ _  
_ _  
_ _Together they grow, together they fight_ _  
_ _  
_ _Years from now, souls to unite_ _  
_ _  
_ _A bridge to form, a bond of bright_ _  
_ _  
_ _From the nest, to both take flight_ _  
_ _  
_ _Thrice from your home, three pairs to unite_ _  
_ _  
_ _The ancient battle ends for hearts to rewrite_ _  
_ _  
_ _Be cautious now, Man of Plight_ _  
_ _  
_ _Parting be your downfall- silence your spite_ _  
_ _  
_ _Though you will mourn, their love is requite_ _  
_ _  
_ _So do not resist, with brawn or might_ _  
_ _  
_ _You will lose your sons to the sounds of light."_


	34. Sons of Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance reunites with his family in the upperworld and matt and adam share their thoughts on his situation

_Matt_

When I had arrived home from the Midworld that day so long ago, my hands and shoulders shaking, tears running down my face, as I heard Kuron's voice over and over in my head, accusing me of cheating and whatever other lies he'd heard, I'd never felt so lonely, afraid, broken.

Now, as I look at Lance, his wings drooping, sobbing into Adam's chest, I can't help but feel a stronger bond growing between us. I know it's wrong, but I need someone to talk to about Kuron. Adam and I are closer than close, but he shut down in a different way after Shiro left him. He doesn't talk about it, but I need to.

Lance and I are more alike than he knows in that, while we tend to hide our own emotions behind a wall of some sort of other traits- for him, being flirty, cocky, annoying, for me, using technology and learning as a distraction- we need to let them out before we explode. For Adam, it's a slow simmer that he lets die in his heart, but Lance and I are much too emotion-driven for that.

I miss Kuron more than anything. I knew his mind like the back of my hand. I knew what made him tick, what made him laugh, what hurt and what he could handle. And yet, we were so easily broken. I knew the prophecy, just because I was a part of it, as were the Twins and Adam, and I knew that, if everything went according to plan, then Kuron and I might still have a chance again, but I was scared.

Kuron had broken my heart, my mind, my trust, and with it, any semblance of stability with myself I'd once felt. He was manipulative, cruel, sensitive, smart. He knew exactly where my weak spots were and had pressed each and every one of them until I'd shattered.

Adam may have been able to hold everything in, work through things and find distractions, but Kuron had broken my capacity to trust myself like that.

Guilt weighed down on me like lead, but I couldn't help it- I was selfishly relieved that Lance had broken like this instead of like Adam- I had someone who I could trust that I could talk to, who could reflect my emotions like a mirror. I was still broken, but maybe Lance and I could piece ourselves together with help.

...

_Adam_

Lance smelled like Shiro. Well, he smelled like what I assumed was Keith, but all devils had this musty, pine and smoke scent and it was setting my nerves alight with memories. So long had it been since I'd let myself think about Shiro. So long since I'd pictured dark grey eyes framed by thick eyelashes. Broad shoulders. Sharp jaw and a thin scar across the bridge of his nose.

Too long, maybe.

Lance was finally home and crying against my chest, just as Matt had done all those years ago. Back when Lance was smaller, sweeter, younger. Back when he couldn't conceptualize heartbreak and hardly understood devils.

But now, he knew too much. My heart went out to him as I tried to console him, but I blamed myself. I had known how dangerous the devil could be and yet, Mother and I had sent him off like a lamb to slaughter.

I'm sure it had been fun, beautiful, and wonderful while it lasted. But of course, just like Matt and I, Lance had been tricked, deceived, lied to and made to believe that he was loved and cared for by the devil he slept beside.

I didn't pay attention to the prophecy as Mother and Matt did- I focused on the things that were happening in the present rather than in the past or future, but I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if that ancient script actually held the promises it stated.

Did I even want it to? Did I want to go back to Shiro, have him build me up just to break me again with false accusations and his low, quiet voice as he slammed the door behind him? I didn't know if it would ever be worth it again.

There were so many uncertainties, and that was one thing I didn't like. I wanted to be sure of myself, my actions, knowing that whatever happens, it happens for a reason. That it's set in stone, never to be changed or looked back at. But since I'd returned from the Midworld, it had begun to get harder and harder to stay stable with that lifestyle.

I found myself looking back, exploring 'what if's and 'maybe's' that could never exist. It hurt my heart more than I could bear, so I kept the drawer of memories shut and locked so that I could try to move on. I distracted myself, kept busy and focused, didn't let the drawer open for anything.

But it was the simple things, like a man in the Midworld with a shock of white hair or the musty, pine-and-smoke scent that lingered on Lance that were the keys to open the drawer.

...

_Lance_

It had been a hard flight back home. Crying and struggling to stay upright in the wind that battered my wings and the tears that clouded my vision, the trip had drained all of my Energy. But, to my relief, Matt, Adam, and Mom had been waiting for me outside the house, their eyes empathetic as I stumbled to meet them.

I didn't know what had happened, why Keith had reacted the way he had, or how I had the strength to fly home, but I was too tired to care, I had enough energy to sob into Adam's chest for a few minutes, briefly summarize what had happened, and then walk up the stairs of the porch of the house to the couch that waited invitingly for me in the living room.

I didn't even have the resolve to bring my wings back in before collapsing into the cushions, the smell of chocolate chip cookies and everything else good and comforting rushing into my senses as I fell into sleep.

...

_Lance walked down the empty, stone hallway, carrying a decanter of brandy and a platter of finger foods with him. He looked down and noticed that his ankles were shackled together by thin, gold chains. He knew that he could easily break them, but something told him he shouldn't._

_He was slowly approaching a large, ovalesque oak door with a door-knocker that looked like a cherub who held its halo in its mouth. Lance balanced the tray of finger foods in the crook of his arm and used the door-knocker._

_As soon as he'd struck the door, the cherub's face turned sour and rearranged until it was a scowling devil, complete with little horns. Lance looked at it, horrified, as it spoke. "You may enter."_

_Lance quickly opened the door and closed it behind him, eager to get away from the evil door-knocker. But as soon as he turned around, he knew that he'd prefer the devil to the scene in front of him._

_Countless angels lay about the room, all wearing identical, short white togas, like the ancient angels in marble sculptures, their wings out and laid haphazardly around them, writhing slowly like snakes._

_The angels were gorgeous, each more than the next, but there was something off about them, something that wasn't quite right._

_They looked up at Lance as he entered and he realized with a jolt of unease that their eyes were entirely black, no whites or irises to be seen. They smiled at him coyly, reaching up with delicate hands to touch his feet, ankles, knees, thighs._

_Lance walked forward, desperate to get away from the hands, and noticed a large, dark throne raised on a dais in the center of the room. The throne was surrounded by a translucent black curtain and Lance could only make out the outline of the person sitting inside it._

_One of the angels on the floor tugged on Lance's foot and he looked down. "Are you bringing refreshments for Mister?" she asked dazedly, her eyes wide. Lance nodded without thinking and the angel let him go, rolling over._

_Lance stepped over limbs and wings as he made his way to the dais. "Mister?" he asked when he reached the curtain._

_"You may enter," came the reply, just like the door-knocker. Lance pushed back the curtain and dropped the platter and decanter upon seeing the figure in the throne._

_Keith stared back at Lance, lounging lazily in the throne, a tall, black crown made of barbed wire and black marble perched upon his head, his horns protruding like a bull's, eyes black like the angels._

_"Oh, my dear. I'm glad you're here. Shame you dropped the food, though," Keith said airly, a mask of indifference and arrogance on his features. "Come," he said, "sit with me, my king." Lance watched as a white, pristine throne appeared next to Keith._

_He stepped forward, but tripped, falling down to the floor in front of Keith's feet. Looking back, Lance realized that he was chained by his ankles to the floor. No longer were the chains gold and delicate. They were now thick, heavy links that bore down on his feet, tethering him to the ground._

_Looking back up at Keith, Lance watched in horror as a sickening smirk spread across Keith's face. He started to laugh at Lance, rowdy and dissonant, cruel and discordant. "What is it?" Keith yelled at Lance between fits of laughter. "Can't you stand?"_

The awful laughter echoed in Lance's head for the rest of the night.


	35. Sweet Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> krolia pays nox a visit and with her is lotor....

_Keith_  
  
"The Trials are what Haggar proposed you could perform in case you ever wanted to restart your heart," Shiro began. They were in the training room and Kuron and I were circling each other in the boxing ring. A few Blade members watched in interest.   
  
"I thought I didn't have a heart," I said and swung at Kuron, who dodged.  
  
Kuron scoffed. "Of course you have a heart, dummy. It's just not beating."  
  
Shiro sighed. "He's right, but it's a little more complicated. You see-"  
  
"Save it," Kuron interrupted, coming at me for a headlock but getting a punch to the gut instead. "Just tell 'im what the Trials are."  
  
"Fine," the white-haired twin grumbled. "It's based around the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins. You'd be put in a simulation and have to face 7 challenges, each having to do with one of the sins and each incredibly personal to you in one way or another."  
  
"What's the catch?" I asked, narrowly avoiding a punch thrown by Kuron.   
  
"There is none. There are two outcomes. Either you complete all of the Trials and make it through to the end when you'll regain your heartbeat and your capacity to love, or you die trying."   
  
I grimaced. Devils were semi-immortal, having the capacity to live for approximately 100,000 years, longer in most cases. But they could still die like anything else with enough force. Yes, they had Energy and some extra strength and healing, but I wasn't about to test my resilience against a witch.   
  
"And I'm assuming I can't back out if I don't want to do it?" I asked. Kuron cuffed my shoulder.  
  
Shiro shook his head. "Of course not."  
  
I slid to the ground and kicked Kuron's feet from under him. He fell with a thud and the Blade members who watched us clapped, offering me compliments. I high fived a few as I jumped out of the ring to get some water.   
  
"Well," I said, taking a gulp of water from the fountain, "what do you think I should do?"  
  
Shiro raised an eyebrow. "It's not my choice, Keith."  
  
I raised my eyebrows right back, "I trust you and your guidance, Shiro. What would you do, if you could go up there and be with Adam. And Kuron," the black-haired twin looked up from his spot on in the ring, "what would you do if you could be with Matt?"  
  
Kuron's face went blank for a moment and then, slowly, the sweetest, purest, saddest smile I'd ever seen on him spread across his lips. Shiro held the same expression. "Matt wouldn't want me. I'm over whatever happened with him and that other guy. I just miss him."  
  
I blinked. "What other guy?"  
  
Kuron's expression turned sour. Maybe he wasn't over what had happened anyway. Shiro spoke up. "A friend of ours told us he'd seen Adam and Matt out with other guys. Showed us pictures and everything. It's why we left. I thought you knew this, Keith."  
  
I blinked again, realizing that I hadn't told Kuron and Shiro the truth yet. "We should go somewhere private," I said suddenly, turning heel and leaving the training room. This was going to be a tough conversation.   
  
But, before the Twins and I got very far, we heard shouting voices from the other direction. Simultaneously, the three of us turned around, eager to see what was happening. The closer we got, the louder the voices became and I soon realized that we were heading towards the throne room.  
  
"What the  _hell_ were you thinking?"  
  
"I just wanted to-"  
  
"You just wanted to fuck everything up? Is that it?"  
  
My father's voice was overpoweringly loud and angry and I looked between the Twins in glee. I knew who he was yelling at.   
  
Kuron pushed the door open to the throne room to a sight I'd been waiting to see.  
  
My father, fuming, with a pathetic-looking Lotor before him. Acxa leaned against the wall with a smirk, arms crossed over her chest. I led the Twins over to Acxa and, when she noticed us, her face broke into a small smile.   
  
"Wow, he's really getting it handed to him," I whispered to her as my father let out another volley of insults at Lotor, pacing.   
  
"It's been going on like this for about ten minutes," she replied, chuckling. I quietly introduced the Twins to Acxa, who looked a little bewildered being in the Underworld, but entertained nonetheless.   
  
"Hey, that's the guy we met in the Midworld. He told us about-" Shiro started, but Father's gaze interrupted him.   
  
Father looked up and noticed the four of us standing against the wall, watching nonchalantly. "Shiro! Kuron! Get over here," he growled, but I knew that he wasn't mad at the Twins.   
  
Sweet revenge, you couldn't have come sooner.   
  
"Lotor, I want you to tell your brothers  _exactly_ what happened when you told them about their guides."  
  
Kuron looked at me, dumbfounded, and mouthed, "Brother?" I shrugged in return. He raised an eyebrow at Lotor. He waved cheerily. "Hey, man. Long time, no see, eh?"  
  
Lotor looked like a toddler as he sulked. "I lied to you."  
  
Kuron's cheery smile dropped off his face. "You what now?" he asked, blinking a few times.   
  
"I lied to you about the stupid guides. Doctored the photos," he mumbled.   
  
Kuron stormed forward and, for a second, Shiro reached forward to hold him back, but then sighed, deciding not to. Little shit deserved it.   
  
Kuron promptly lifted Lotor up by the collar of his shirt and held him off the ground, eyes burning with anger. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you. Could you repeat that?" he asked sweetly.  
  
"The stupid guides. They didn't cheat. I lied."  
  
Kuron froze. I watched his shoulders rise and fall as he inhaled deeply, then let it out. The punch was as quick as lightning as he yelled, "Never call Matt stupid ever again, you bastard!" Lotor fell, unconscious.   
  
Back to his old self again, Kuron dusted off his hands, winking at me, before putting his arm around a stoic-faced Shiro and leading him out of the throne room. I think they were both pretty upset after learning what had happened, so I let them be.   
  
Father was looking down at Lotor disapprovingly. The man lay on the stone floor, breathing deeply. After a few moments, Father lifted his head to Acxa and I. He sighed. "Well, that didn't go  _exactly_ as planned, but I'm glad it's taken care of anyways."  
  
"Acxa," he said, smiling kindly, "Thank you for everything. I'm sure it was a real pain keeping him in check."  
  
She shrugged. "It's what I do best."  
  
"I'll be keeping Lotor down here, where he belongs, from now on, if you don't mind. After all, I have a feeling that I'm going to be getting very lonely very soon." I was about to ask him what he meant, but he was already handing a giant canvas bag to Acxa. "This is for your efforts."   
  
As Acxa received it, I was able to peek inside- stacks upon stacks of hundred-dollar bills. That's the King of Wealth and Riches, for you. Acxa's eyes went wide as she surveyed the bills.   
  
"Holy shit," she breathed.   
  
Father offered her a crooked smile before telling her it was time to go. I turned to her with a grin. "Thanks for everything, Acxa. It means a lot." We shook hands.   
  
"I hope I see you again soon," she replied.   
  
In an instant, she was gone. Father looked at the place she'd just been with a heavy expression. After a few moments, he spoke again. "I know her mother."  
  
I frowned, "Acxa's mom?"   
  
"Her name is Krolia. I loved her for a very long time. She knew me as a small-town Texan farmer." He looked at me sideways. "You look like her."  
  
I blinked. I knew how I'd been created. The darkest galaxies, densest nebulas, blah blah blah. But I never knew that I'd been modeled after someone as well. A long time ago, I'd gotten the whole thing confused and had asked Shiro if we were brothers to the Angels since Father and Missus had been together at one time. But, thankfully, it was nothing like that. Dad made us from the stars and the sky and everything quiet, beautiful, and dark, then breathed Death into us and we grew.   
  
Missus created her children from clouds and the ocean and the ground mortals walked upon, using items and traits to create uniqueness across them. Just because Missus and Dad had been together at one point, they never had any children together and didn't need each other to have children anyways.   
  
Except for Lotor, I guess. "Is it true that Lotor's half-mortal?" I asked my father suddenly. I looked over at him and my eyes widened when I realized that he was  _blushing_.   
  
"Well, Keith," he said gruffly, "It wasn't very good for my reputation to be a 50,000-year-old virgin, you know."   
  
We laughed until our stomachs hurt and I realized that I would miss my father more than I knew if I left. The decision before me was growing more and more demanding, and the stakes were growing higher and higher as well.   
  
I would have to make my choice soon. 


	36. Encounter pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance believes that he must go down to the midworld to try to find keith, but finds someone else entirely.

_Lance_

Mom and I sat on the porch of The House sipping homemade mojitos and eating wild strawberries that some of the little kids had picked. Up here, it felt like summertime. We were watching the sunset over the clouds and I felt more relaxed than I had in a while.

All across the lawn, the younger angels giggled and chased each other, launching into the air and staying aloft for a few moments, beating their wings furiously, before dropping back down to the grass in fits of giggles. I knew that they were eager to age and finally grow their flight feathers, but I knew that I sometimes wished that I was that young again.

Some of the older angels were lounging on picnic blankets, eating apples from the orchard or grapes from the vineyard beyond. I could hear a group of them off playing some sweet, summery music.

It was easy to forget the Midworld when you had this paradise laid out before you, but each night as I slept, I was plagued with nightmares. Sometimes they were recurring, but most of the time they were twists on old dreams or completely new ones. I wasn't sleeping well, despite my lavish bed in The House, and I knew why.

If I wasn't having a nightmare, I would lay awake in bed, picturing Keith. Sometimes his face, his lips, his palms. Other times his black eyes, his horns, the cruel twist of his mouth as he told me he hated me. Not a day went by where I didn't think of him. 

"How are you feeling, darling?" Mother asked me, rocking gently in her wooden chair. I was sitting to her left on the porch, my legs dangling off the side. The House was back to its country style, like a house you'd see in Texas, and it seemed like someone was always making cornbread or blueberry muffins in the kitchen, making it a warm and comfortable home. 

I preferred it over the other styles that Mother sometimes changed The House to, like Victorian or Modern, and I think that she'd kept it the same style like this because she knew that I was most comfortable in it.

"I'm alright," I said blandly, but I could tell that my mother knew I was lying. I was already a terrible liar, but my mother knew when any of her children were lying like a sixth sense. 

However, she waited for me to explain instead of prompting me, which was kind of her. 

"I'm still having the nightmares," I admitted. "It makes it hard to sleep."

She nodded, but I knew that she expected more. 

"I know that you said- that everyone said- that I should just forget about it. I mean, I don't really know what happened and I guess no one saw it anyways but..." I looked back at my mother, "I feel like I need to go see if he's okay. Tell him I love him, even if he doesn't feel the same way."

I had gotten over the embarrassment of my love for my devil quickly since it had been accepted with Adam and Matt when they had returned. 

Mother looked at me with kind eyes, but I could tell that my words were causing her pain. I knew that she wanted someone good for me, another angel, maybe. Or even a mortal. But I knew where my heart lay: in the hands of the Prince of Darkness. 

She turned her gaze to the field before us, taking a long sip from her mojito. The sun had just about disappeared from our cloud horizon. 

Her next words were calculated and slow, placing meaning in each one. "If you feel the need to return to the Midworld to contact your devil, I will not stop you, but I will warn you that the path you are taking is dangerous and may lead to more pain."

It was all I needed. I rose from my seat and walked to my mother's chair. I leaned down to kiss her cheek and was sorrowfully surprised to see that she was crying. She didn't look at me, but I knew that she would look after me. 

"I love you, Mother. I'll be home soon. I just need to do this."

She nodded once, and then I was off, wings springing from my back as I leaped from the porch, immediately finding a swift breeze that I knew my mother had sent, and dove through the clouds to the Midworld. 

...

It wasn't hard choosing a place to land. I flew North, staying just below the clouds, watching the city lights below me. I knew where I was directionally, but I just had to find the exact place. When I'd entered the Midworld, I'd emerged in the general city area, but I had to fly north a bit to find the exact spot.

The sun had already set in the Upperworld beneath our cloud horizon, but it was still early evening in the Midworld and the sun here was just beginning to kiss the real horizon. I landed in the field as gracefully as I could, surveying the houses on the street to make sure that no one was outside. There were a few lights on, so I threw myself into invisibility just in case.

New Hampshire summer nights were mild, sweet, and calm, and the sound of crickets in the field was comforting. I looked out to my left and saw the large, abandoned barn. Nostalgia ran cold through my veins and I fell to the grass in a heap.

My hands forming fists, I hit the ground hard, as if pounding on Keith's door to let me in. I needed him.

_I need you. Please._

Of course, no one showed up. Keith hated me- that's what he said. But I didn't care, so I told the ground, the dirt, and grass beneath me, what I wanted to say to my love if only he was here.

"Keith," I started, and the name itself made my throat close up.

"I met you here, in this town, months ago. It was raining and you were almost hit by a cab. I remember saving you. I remember looking into your eyes that first time. I remember you hating me.

"I remember how you scribbled The Plan on a napkin and how you hated flying with me. We came here because I didn't have the Energy to get money so I could buy us a hotel room, but I never told you that.

"You smelled like pine and smoke and you were so  _angry_. You slept in the hayloft and I slept on the floor. When you woke up, you saw the sun for the first time. You were brilliant, Keith. I don't think you know just how beautiful you looked, even though you looked like you were going to kill me." I laughed humorlessly, hollowly.

"Just come back, even if you hate me. Let me apologize and make things right. I need to make things right, Keith."

The sound of crickets drowned out the sounds of my tears. I don't know how long I sat there on the ground, my forehead to the dirt, until I heard the voice.

"I can see how much you care for my son."


	37. Encounter pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance and nox have a heated conversation about keith

_Lance_

I jolted upright, reinforcing my invisibility just in case it was a Midworlder. But I knew right away that the man wasn't mortal. Framed by the setting sun, he stood a few meters away, black eyes on me. His slick, black hair was smoothed back, away from his face and he was incredibly handsome.

Wearing a dark button-down and charcoal-black slacks, accompanied by a wool trenchcoat that hung over his shoulders, I knew immediately who he was. Fear sparked in my veins, but an eerie calmness also radiated from the man.

I bowed my head- what else are you supposed to do to greet Mister?

"Little angel," he said softly in a thick accent that I couldn't place, "mourning is in my jurisdiction, as is my son. I thought that angels were supposed to be happy, loving, carefree."

My mouth was dry and my wings were flopped uselessly to my sides. Thankfully, Mister relieved me of the embarrassment: "Stand."

I did so and he stepped forward, catching my chin in between his gloved fingers and examining my face. I almost wanted to jerk out of his grip, but my gut told me that that could have serious consequences.

"You're a fine young man," he muttered letting me go, "but I still don't understand why my son would choose you."

I didn't say anything. Mister seemed to have a habit of answering his own queries.

"But I understand your pain, little one. I  _am_  the king of it, after all." He grinned wickedly. "I mourned the same way when your mother left me. I begged, even." He scoffed at the memory. "But some people just aren't meant to be together."

I swallowed.

"Is Keith alright?" I asked quietly, not making eye contact with Mister.

Mister sighed. "He's infuriatingly insistent about completing the Trials. I knew that the Twins shouldn't have shown him that goddamn prophecy. But hopefully, I'll be able to change his mind."

Trials? Prophecy? I didn't have the slightest clue to what Mister was talking about, but I was too tense to ask.

Mister squinted at me. "Your aura is tinged, you know. It's because you love him."

"I know."

He sighed: a deep, tired sound that made me shiver. "There's no truer proof than that," he muttered, more to himself than to me.

My wings rubbed together anxiously like a cricket, but I kept my face smooth and calm. Mister seemed unpredictable at the very least- I didn't know what would or could upset him.

Mister suddenly looked at me sharply, monitoring my expression as he spoke, "What does your mother think about all of this?"

I blinked. I hadn't expected him to ask about Mother.

"She's worried about me. She doesn't want me to get hurt."

Mister nodded slowly, his dark eyes holding no obvious emotion. He was as smooth and slick as silk and yet seemed so easily irritated.

"That's right, you could get hurt," he purred. "Why keep at it? Fragile angels shouldn't be trifling with devils. Your brothers know that."

"I'm sure you know that it was a devil who started the lie that my brothers cheated on the Twins," I replied smoothly. I respected Mister, but I wouldn't let him walk all over me. I could take care of myself.

He seemed taken aback by my confidence, but his face slid into a smirk again. "Fiesty little angel," he chuckled, "I love messing with you."

I crossed my arms over my chest, determined.

"Yes, yes, I keep forgetting that you know Lotor too. He's home safe now and shouldn't be splitting up any more relationships." He paused, "But,  _oops_ , you and Keith have already broken up."

The remark stung, but I reminded myself that this was the man who raised Keith- he must have some good somewhere in that black, dead heart.

"I'll remind you that you were the one who sent Keith up to the Midworld in the first place. You knew that he'd get an angel guard and you knew that angels are required to love everything. Why are you so surprised that a devil may want to return those feelings?" I was talking loudly, boldly, but I didn't care. I needed to get to Keith.

Mister's face contorted with fury. "You don't need to remind me, foolish one," he sneered. "Devils  _can't_  love- I was never worried. But now he  _wants_  to love. That's what worries me."

I felt my heart beat faster. Keith wanted to love?

Mister scowled at my chest and I knew that he could hear my heartbeat.

"Keith can make his own decisions. Why are you trying to stop him?"

The King of Darkness sighed again. "You obviously haven't read the prophesy, little angel. If Keith leaves, so do the Twins, and I'm all alone again. I need my devils."

I wrinkled my nose. "That's selfish," I said bluntly.

"I'm the king of selfishness, angel," Mister replied. But something flashed through his expression. I hoped it was remorse.

"Can't you have more kids?"

"You sound like your mother."

"Good."

"You're not good enough for my son."

"You think I don't know that?"

"You'd never make him happy."

"I already have."

"It will never work."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Then you're stupid."

"And you're afraid."

Mister and I stared at each other, breathing heavily. I clenched and unclenched my fists, anger burbling inside my heart.

Not wanting to let him win, I spoke quickly. "I love Keith. If he loves me and you're holding him back, the blame falls on you, not him."

I took off for home without another word. 


	38. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith prepares himself for the trials, getting advice from the Twins and nox

_Keith_

"Are you not happy here?" My father asked me as I stood in front of him. He was sitting in his throne, a leather armchair today, with a tight expression. He smelled like grass.

I frowned. "Is this about the Trials?" I had made up my mind days ago, deciding that, to make things right between Lance and me, I needed to regain my heart. I didn't understand why Dad was so opposed to the idea.

"You can't answer a question with a question." He sounded tired.

"Yes, I'm happy here. It's my home."

"Then why do you insist on leaving?"

I shook my head. "I never said anything about leaving. I'd still be a devil, your son."

Father sighed and stood up, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "Devils don't have beating hearts, boy. My son is undead. If you take those Trials, you'll become semi-mortal. You won't be able to stay down here for long without dying."

"How long would I have?" I challenged.

"A week, maybe, until you'd fade away completely. You'd have to live in the Midworld."

I bit my lip. The decision had been made and it was sound and solid, but my father kept bringing up more and more obstacles, throwing things in my way to try and sway me.

"I will find a home in the Midworld, then, and visit as often as I can."

My father shook his head. "Your life will become shorter. A couple thousand years, at the most."

"Mortals only live 80. I can live my life well with a few thousand."

My father turned away from me. His shoulders were hunched. "Why do you want to leave me, my boy?" His shoulders shook but I refused to believe he was crying. My father emotional because of  _me_? Unheard of. Impossible.

"I want to live my life as someone who can love. I want to love my friends, my family, myself. Dad, I want to love you."

"You can't love me," he shot back, "I cannot love."

"I never said you had to," I said gently. I knew I could take the Trials alone. But I wanted my father with me, supporting me. "If I die in there, I want you to know that I loved you. Or at least I wanted to." I turned to leave but paused. As I'd expected, I felt Dad's hand on my shoulder. I didn't turn.

"I am not Missus. I couldn't care less about love and I can't understand for the life of me why you crave it. I will not stand in your way if this is what you truly want, but I will not encourage it. Keith, you were born as a Prince of Darkness and all things otherwise tragic. That is all you will ever be in my eyes- my son and my heir. By...  _renouncing_ this role, you renounce me and your home."

"I would never-  _could_ never renounce you, Father. This is my home and you will always be a part of it. But you have to understand that my heart is up there." I raised my eyes to the cavernous ceiling above us. "I just hope that Lance will still have it."

"He will."

I wasn't sure if my father knew that for a fact, and I had a sneaking suspicion that he'd interrogated Lance, but I trusted him. I had to.

...

"It's not going to be easy, I'll tell you that. You're going to  _want_  to die if you don't end up actually killing yourself. But you just have to focus on yourself and nothing else. You'll make it."

Kuron was placing two circular patches to my temples, yellow eyes focused. Shiro stood slightly behind him, looking at me nervously. I knew that, between the two of them, Shiro was considerably more anxious about the outcome.

It wasn't like Kuron wasn't worried about me, his hands were shaking too much to convince me that he was confident in me, but Shiro was insightful and wise, and I knew that he was doubtful.

Of course, I was just as nervous. I knew I didn't have the strongest mind or heart, but I was determined. I had something to live for- I wouldn't throw it away because my own mind dictated it to be so.

The three of us were standing in the room where the prophecy was and I could see the podium in my peripheral vision. I recited the lines in my head, boring them into my memory.

   _Born unto you, a boy of night_

_Born unto Her, a boy of light_

Lance and I.

   _Together they grow, together they fight_

_Years from now, souls to unite_

That was our meeting, and then our trip together.

   _A bridge to form, a bond of bright_

_From the nest, to both take flight_

That was my leaving the Underworld. Did it mean that Lance would leave the Upperworld too?

   _Thrice from your home, three pairs to unite_

_The ancient battle ends for hearts to rewrite_

The Twins and I- three of us in love with angels. And the next line was me regaining my heart.

   _Be cautious now, Man of Plight_

_Parting be your downfall- silence your spite_

I knew that it was directed at my father, the 'Man of Plight', and how he needed to accept my departure.

_Though you will mourn, their love is requite_

Again, Lance and I. Would I love him after this? I wanted to.

   _So do not resist, with brawn or might_

_You will lose your sons to the sounds of light._

And those last two lines were meant for my father, telling him that... that what? That it was hopeless? That we'd leave him no matter what?

He wasn't in the room with us- he'd said his goodbye in the Throne Room and I'd accepted it. I knew that it was the best that he could do. I could feel his aura, though, snaking through the Underworld like smoke, creeping under doors and through the tunnels of our home.

It smelled like loss and hurt and revenge and it broke my heart with every breath, letting it enter my throat and curl around my lungs, but I knew that this was what I was meant to do. Fate was bullshit, destiny a mere tale to make people feel better about themselves, but the rightness of this could only be explained by those phenomenons.

I was born to be the bridge, to unite the Upper- and Underworld, to love what was forbidden to me. And finally, I was ready to step forward and take what was mine.

"Are you ready?" Kuron asked, a deep, hard question in his eyes that he didn't voice. I knew that I wasn't just doing this for myself. I was doing this for my brothers- if I could pass this test, then it meant that they could too.

And if my brothers could love, the wound that had caused a rift between their guides and their hearts would close and the Twins could finally be happy. My father was a different story. If I survived this, I swore to myself that I would do anything to make sure that he would be happy, to visit and to show him that I cared about him and I always would.

"I am," I said firmly. Ready as I'd ever be, I guessed. Kuron looked like he wanted to hug me, his eyes a mess of emotions that I knew he'd never be able to say, but he stuck with a hand on my shoulder instead, and a hand on my heart.

"Let's get this thing up and running," he chuckled dryly, eyes flicking from my chest to my face.

I offered him a sincere smile in return. Kuron turned to the podium and ran his hand over it, fingers picking up a bit of dust. "Take care of my little brother, enchantress." His voice was thick and he only spared me one more look before turning away and hurrying outside.

I looked at Shiro. His dark eyes were trained on me with an odd expression. "This is what you want, right?"

I nodded.

"You'll do great, then. I know you will."

"I hope so."

"Well, I know so." He stepped forward and pulled me to his chest in a hug and I felt my throat close up. I would miss being his full brother. "Patience yields focus, Keith," he muttered as he pulled back, then turned away and walked out of the room.

The stone door slid shut behind him.

I inhaled deeply, then stepped up to the podium. I looked down at the prophecy and mustered every ounce of courage and strength I had. I closed my eyes.

"Are you ready, Prince of Darkness?" A thin, reedy voice whispered in my ear. She sounded skeptical and judgemental.

"Yes."

"Then you may proceed."

I opened my eyes.


	39. Fallen Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance visits the underworld to retrieve keith

_Lance_  
  
"He told you that?" Mom looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. I'd just gotten back from the Midworld and I was still a bit shaken up from my encounter with Mister. I knew that I'd been bold, but whether or not that had been a good decision, I didn't know yet.  
  
Mom sighed, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger anxiously. We were seated in the living room of The House across from each other on opposite sofas. Mom was wearing a flowy, yellow sundress and she had her hair pulled back away from her face, a sign of anxiety.  
  
I quoted the king again: "' He's infuriatingly insistent about completing the Trials'."  
  
Mom put her head in her hands. "The poor baby. He must have read the prophecy."  
  
"He talked about that too. What's the prophecy?"  
  
She sighed. "It's something that a witch wrote when Keith was born. It has to do with you and Keith, darling, along with the Twins, Adam, and Matt. Your brothers learned about it when they were with the Twins, but I've never read it myself."  
  
"What about Keith and I?"  
  
"Keith was prophesied to be some kind of... 'bridge' to the Upperworld, and you to the Underworld. I'm not entirely sure, though."  
  
"So Keith and I were supposed to be together from the start?"  
  
Mom shrugged, which was very un-Mom-like. "Maybe." I could tell that she didn't exactly love the idea of Keith and I being soulmates or whatnot.  
  
I shook my head as if to clear it and refocused. "So, what are the Trials?"  
  
Mom winced. "I don't know much. They're a set of challenges that the witch created, a sort of test."  
  
"And if Keith passes the test...?"  
  
"He..." Mom frowned. "God, it's been years. I think he regains something. I think he's able to feel something, but I can't remember..." She looked strained, so I put a hand over hers.  
  
"It's okay, Mama, don't worry."  
  
Mom leaned back, sighing. "I'm sorry, Lance. It's been too long."  
  
I smiled ruefully. My mother was gorgeous, but her worried face aged her. I stood and stretched, yawning. "It's getting late, anyway, so I think I'm gonna head to bed."  
  
Mom nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'll see you in the morning, darling."  
  
I kissed her on the cheek before heading upstairs. My room in The House was small and simple, but I loved it. It was themed like the beach with pale blue walls and sandy yellow trim. My bed was small and close to the floor with a soft quilt thrown over it. On the other side of the room, there was a large window seat that looked over the lawn.  
  
Outside, I could see kids running around with sparklers, weaving around picnic blankets and baskets, laughing excitedly as their little wings flapped frantically to keep up. I smiled gently at my siblings. They would never know the pain of loving someone who couldn't love them back, or at least I hoped they wouldn't.  
  
And yet, I wouldn't take any of it back.  
  
I wouldn't take back meeting Keith in the rain. Nor would I take back our first night in that stupid barn. The trip to Seattle, the car rides, my broken nose, afternoons on the beach. It had been awkward and strange and beautiful. It was easily the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life but it had felt natural the whole way through.  
  
I closed my door behind me and leaned against it, sighing heavily. Scattered around my room where little snippets from the beach- seashells here, a seagull feather there, a conch shell and a ship in a bottle. I adored the ocean.  
  
Humming a slow, sweet waltz, I picked my clothes up off the floor from the night before and cleaned up other knick-knacks and books that were scattered around. I'd just finished up cleaning when a knock came at my door.  
  
"Come in," I called absently, surveying my now-clean room.   
  
I turned to see Adam opening my door, his brown hair messy and with tired eyes. "Lance," he greeted, walking over to my bed to sit down.   
  
"Hey, Adam. What's up?" I sat down next to my brother, concerned.   
  
"I hope you know that I never intended to eavesdrop, but I was in the kitchen when you and Mom were talking and I heard... well, I heard everything."  
  
I thought about this for a second. "It's not like it's a secret or anything, Adam. It's fine if you heard."  
  
My brother looked at me with a grimace, "But I know what the Trials are, Lance. I know what Keith is going to regain."  
  
Brown eyes met my blue and Adam pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.   
  
"Well?" I asked nervously.  
  
"When Shiro and I were together, he told me that, if he wanted to, he could regain his heart. You remember how Keith didn't have a heartbeat?"  
  
I nodded. It was eerie. "They have hearts, but they don't beat. And some weird kind of chemistry-biological-bullshit-thing about devils is that, because they don't have beating hearts, they can't love."   
  
Adam continued, looking down at the floor. "Shiro told me that, in order to regain his heartbeat and, by that, his ability to love, he'd have to pass the Trials. I don't know the whole story, but it's a life-or-death situation when you take them. If you pass, you can love, if you fail, you die."  
  
I tensed, the reality of the situation sinking into my skin. Keith was going to risk his life to restart his heart? For me? Adam sighed. "If Keith passes, he'll have to live in the Midworld for the rest of his life- his body won't be able to handle the atmosphere of the Underworld for more than a few days."  
  
I stood up, raking a hand through my hair. "I have to stop him. He can't throw away his life for me."  
  
Adam stood too, putting his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "Matt and I have already talked about this. We knew that you'd want to go after him, but neither of us think it's a good idea. You know the risk of going down there, Lance."  
  
"No more than three days," I whispered. Any more than that and I would lose my halo, promptly reducing my being to fully mortal.   
  
Adam nodded solemnly. "Are you going to leave?"  
  
I was already looking around my room for my satchel, packing small necessities inside it, changing into a more suitable outfit of a loose, white button-down and black jeans that were ripped at the knees. As I dressed, Adam worked on opening a portal.  
  
Portals were what we, as angels, used to look down at the Midworld. They were little windows that we observed from, and, if need be, we could step through them to the destination we were looking at.   
  
Angels never opened up portals to the Underworld, though. Partially because we didn't need to- that was Mister's domain and Mom knew that he didn't like his work to be meddled with, and also because it was terrifying for an angel.   
  
The place was full of death and sadness- such things were unheard of in the Upperworld. But Adam was slowly opening a glowing window in the center of the room. Through it, I could see a long, dark hallway that looked to be made of stone.   
  
Adam gave me a small, encouraging smile. "Find Keith and get out of there, Lance. The Underworld was not made for angels."  
  
I nodded once, eyes set. "I'll be back before three days is up, I promise."  
  
"You'd better be," Adam muttered. He hesitated, then tilted his head to the side. "Tell Shiro I said 'hi'."   
  
I shot my brother a crooked grin. "Absolutely." And with that, I stepped through the portal.  


	40. The Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith undergoes the trails, which consist of tests of the seven deadly sins

_Keith_

" _Congratulations, you two. I'm so proud of you_."

I blinked, staring up at the ceiling of some room. It was made of rough rock, so I assumed that I was still in the Underworld, but it was not a room I recognized.

" _We'll make sure to visit, Father._ "

I tried to sit up so that I could hear the people who were talking, but I couldn't move. I felt frozen, like my body had been put on pause. After a few moments, though, I discovered that I could move my head.

I slowly turned to the left, where I saw Father and the Twins talking in the doorway. The Twins looked radiantly happy and even Father was wearing a smile.

" _I expect no less_."

Shiro turned to look at me, his eyes kind. " _What about Keith?_ "

Father turned too, pity in his eyes. " _It's too bad he didn't pass_ ," he dismissed airily. " _But you two will have plenty of fun up in the Midworld._ "

What? What was going on? I didn't pass? There was no way- I couldn't even remember the trials!

The Twins passed and I didn't? I watched in horror as the Twins shook Dad's hand in turn and then vanished. I felt anger bubbling up in my chest. I wanted to go up too! What the hell was going on?

Dad sighed and walked towards me, sorrowful pity in his eyes. " _I'm sorry, Keith. You just didn't make it,_ " he said apologetically. " _You can't always get what you want._ "

Suddenly, he froze. He blinked once and his eyes were yellow- shining brightly like Kuron's. "Identify it, your highness," my father rasped in a voice that wasn't his own.

 _Identify what?_ I tried to think of the seven deadly sins, tried to think of what this trial was. "You can't always get what you want," my father hissed again, eyes narrowing.

 _What I want? Wanting?_ It struck me.  _Covetousness._

"Very good, your highness." My father vanished.

And with it, the room that I was in. In an instant, I was standing. I stumbled back a bit, off-kilter, as I regained my senses. Now, I was standing in front of a large, oak door. From the looks of the rest of the hallway, I was still in the Underworld, but I'd never seen this door before.

Hesitantly, I pushed it open. Inside, my eyes were met with a gorgeous room. The lighting was magenta, bathing everything in its dark pink glow but I couldn't see any light sources. The walls and ceiling were draped in fine, silk fabrics that hung down around me.

Slowly, I began walking forward, pushing through the silks. It was then that I noticed that I was shirtless. That was immediately a warning sign, but also a bit strange. As I pushed past another sheet of pink silk, I caught a glimpse of something. A... bedpost?

With shaking hands, I pushed back the last sheet.

My eyes were met with something that I'm would have stopped my heart. A mahogany king-sized bed, surrounded by a canopy of thin, sheer fabric. The magenta lighting cast shadows over the bed, but I could make out a figure on the mattress, sitting up. I felt their eyes on me.

Slowly, I walked forward, pushing aside the silk that hung down from the canopy. There, like the fucking angel he was, sat Lance. He was sitting up, kneeling with a dark pink sheet drawn around his shoulders like a cape, though it barely covered his-

" _Keith_!" Lance cried out, springing from his position and throwing himself into my arms. His skin was as warm and soft as I remembered it being and all I wanted to do was kiss him. I felt his arms around my neck and our chests together. I heard his light breath in my ear and felt myself lose a bit of sanity.

"Hello, gorgeous," I rumbled, running my hands down Lance's shoulders. He shivered at my touch and arched his back, leaning back with a devilish look in his eyes. It was an expression I'd never seen before from him and it made my stomach churn with an odd feeling.

" _I missed you_ ," Lance said with a pout, his blue eyes captivating.

"I know," I replied, kissing him gently. But somehow, it all felt wrong. Lance wasn't actually here, was he? Or had I finished the Trials? I couldn't remember anything with Lance like this, in my arms, finally.

Lance looked down over his shoulder, a small, hopeful look on his face. " _We have this bed all to ourselves_ ," he whispered. He looked at me with that same expression and I almost thought he'd sprout horns right then and there.

"Oh," I said, my throat tight. I felt my cheeks heat up. "You want to...?"

Lance's perfect pink lips split into a sly smile. He was coy and flirty and it was weird, seeing this from him, but I couldn't possibly bring myself to say no.

" _It'd be a shame to waste a bed like this_ ," he said absently, rearranging his sheet-cape on his shoulders. I swallowed hard as I watched the fabric slip down his skin. I could count the freckles on his mocha skin- we were so close, too close, closer than ever.

"Honey, I want to, but..." I looked around. Wasn't I still in the Trials? I had to be- it couldn't have been that short.

Lance's face fell and I almost changed my mind. But I knew that this couldn't be real. I realized what this test was.  _Lust_ , I thought, feeling the atmosphere shift. I'd passed it, I knew. Five more to go, though.

But, unlike the last test, I stayed in the same room, Lance still staring at me with hurt eyes that swam with tears.

" _What_?" Lance asked thickly, frowning. " _Am I not good enough, Keith? What's wrong with me? Why don't you want me?_ "

I stepped back, holding my hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, my love, but this isn't real."

Lance's face was pure heartbreak from the rejection. " _What's wrong with me, Keith? Why don't you want me?_ " he cried again, but the sadness was quickly overcome by anger. " _I guess I'm just some toy for you, then, right? I'm just some ugly angel who you wanted to play with?_ "

"Lance, you  _know_  that's not true," I said helplessly.

Lance scowled, the magenta sheets pulled around him like armor. " _Well, if you won't have me_ ," he said darkly, " _then someone else will_."

Suddenly, I felt hands around my shoulders, dragging me back, away from the bed. I struggled, trying to tear away, but as I looked over my shoulder, no one was there. I was held in place several meters away from the bed, writhing desperately but unable to get away.

I saw Lance's eyes snap up and watched in disgust as  _Lotor_  emerged from the strips of fabric that I'd previously entered through. I hadn't noticed before how stunningly attractive he was. Even now, as he slinked towards Lance with a smirk, I felt my eyes wander up his torso. I knew it was just the Trials messing with me, though.

       

_https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJkylNtUMAA_ao5.jpg_

Lotor approached Lance with intent and I had to watch helplessly as my angel smiled invitingly, pulling Lotor closer to him. When their lips met, I felt anger course through my veins. Lotor's hands traveled down Lance's waist, hips, and all I could do was stand there.

Lance looked at Lotor with admiration and lust that I'd never seen before and, without being prompted, jealousy began to dig its way into my head, my heart, my bones. I felt pure spite as Lotor caressed Lance's shoulders, both of them shooting me pitying glances every so often.

Consumed by jealousy, I struggled to pull myself from the hole I was digging myself into. Lotor bent down to place a kiss directly over Lance's heart, but before he could, the word struck me, and I screamed, "Envy!" with such force, it felt like my whole body was exploding.

Promptly, the magenta lights, silks, and bed disappeared, leaving the three of us falling to the hard, rock floor. Lance floundered for a moment, his cheeks pink as he looked between Lotor and I, then stood, gathering the magenta sheet around himself, and walked off into the darkness.

"Lance!" I called halfheartedly.

But then I looked at Lotor, who had a cool smirk on his face. This time, there was no one holding me back now.

I lunged, fists balled with pent-up fury, and let out a battle cry that even startled myself. "How  _dare_ you touch him like that?" I screamed, eyes wild. Lotor took one punch in the face before fighting back, fast and arrogant.

Fists were thrown, legs kicking, and we fell to the ground, tussling on the hard rock. His knee found my stomach and I doubled over, heaving food that I hadn't eaten, barely able to catch my breath before he was on top of me, his white hair as crazy as his eyes.

I knew that I could stop it. I knew what this sin was. But, even if he was just a figment of the Trials, an imaginary man in an imaginary room, I felt the need to teach him a lesson. No one was there to stop us like there were in the training room when the Blades got too feisty- no one was going to stop me if I went too far.

Lotor was a weasel- fast and slick and slippery, but I'd been training for longer. The last real injury he caused me was a kick to my ribs, the result a muffled  _crack_. I had him pinned after that but, even then, as I hissed, "Wrath," into his face, his lips remained in a cool smirk.

He vanished beneath me, and suddenly, I was kneeling on the floor of the throne room. Cool, smooth slate was beneath my knees and the ever-present fire cackled happily in the hearth.

I looked up to Father's throne- empty. I stood shakily, my injuries from the fight making it hard to even move. I was just about to call out for anyone when the door burst open. In came father, a dark, black cloak flying out behind him as he strode towards me, an uncharacteristically genuine smile on his lips.

" _Keith! My boy! You did so well!_ " He leaned forward and clasped me on the shoulder, eyes shining.

"What?" I asked dumbly.

Father rolled his eyes. " _The fight, son. I saw it and you were amazing. Exactly what I would have done._ "

I felt a smile coming to my lips at my father's praise. "You're happy for me?" I asked hesitantly. I knew how he felt about the Trials.

He grinned down at me. " _I'm ecstatic. You should be proud of yourself, son. Lotor is no easy match_."

I scratched the back of my neck. "I could have done better..." I started, modesty tugging at my heart.

" _You did amazingly well, my boy. Have some pride!_ "

I nodded slowly, a smile coming over my face. He was right- I'd won the fight. I deserved to be proud of myself. I deserved to shout it from the mountaintops-  _I won!_

I wore a smirk just as Lotor had and pumped my fist in the air, reveling in the victory. But, of course, something was nagging me in the back of my mind. A memory. Dad.

" _Get up, son! Come on, is that all you have?_ "

Facing against a Blade two times larger and twice my age. My small fists and pathetic stance.

Losing a tooth from the first punch. My father glaring down at me. " _I'm not going to raise a weakling. Get back in there._ " Over and over, I'd fight. Over and over, I'd get knocked down. Over and over, it was never good enough for him.

He was never proud of me.

Proud.

"Pride," I whispered aloud. I felt the atmosphere shift, but again, I stayed in the same place. My father turned to look at me. He looked old, weary. Older and wearier than I'd ever seen him. He smiled at me and I noticed in grim disgust that several of his teeth were missing, the rest yellowing.

" _Come sit with me, son. Let's have a meal together_."

He hobbled over to a small, flat table next to his throne and conjured up a chair for me. Immediately, an array of food was laid out on the table. And suddenly, I was starving. My mouth began to water as I looked over the table. Meat. Bread still steaming, pats of butter beside it. Twice baked potatoes. French onion soup. Cake and delicate pastries. The food was stacked and packed to the table and Father was practically salivating over it.

I knew with a twinge of guilt what this was. Slowly, my eyes drifted to my seat. Upon my chair sat a bowl of round, red fruit.

Pomegranates with ruby-like seeds.

I almost wanted to laugh. How classic, witch.

I walked up to my seat but did not sit. Father didn't look at me. With shaking fingers, I picked up three small pomegranate seeds. One by one, I dropped them into my mouth.

One.  _Shiro_.

Two.  _Kuron_.

Three.  _Father._

As my father began to tear into the meal, ravaging like a wild animal, I looked over him with pity. "Gluttony," I said sadly before turning away from him and walking out the door.

I found myself in my room. As perfect and neat as it had been when I'd left it. Sighing gratefully, I stumbled over to my bed. It looked invitingly soft and I couldn't help but sink into it, feeling myself drift as I closed my eyes.

 _I deserve a rest. It's been a hard day_.

Slowly, I began drifting into sleep. I sunk deeper and deeper into the mattress, my breath evening out as the blankets soothed my aching body.

_I don't care. I don't care about the Trials. I need to sleep. I'm tired._

My head tilted back and I felt my body begin to fade away. I wasn't alarmed. Just tired.

What had the last sin been? I had done all seven, right? Everything was... okay?

I sighed dreamily. Probably. Maybe I did it.

I edged my hand up through the blankets and didn't realize that I was searching for something until I couldn't find it. What was I looking for?

Blue eyes. Warm skin. Kind smile.

Golden halo. Soft wings. Lithe fingers.

Pretty laugh. Pillowy lips. Small freckles.

 _Who...?_ I searched.  _Why did I take the Trials_?

The name came to me in a flash of lightning.  _Lance._

And the sin came to me in the same instant.  _Sloth_.

My eyes flashed open.


	41. Underworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and lance are together once again

_Lance_

I stood nervously in the doorway, hesitant to knock. I didn't know what would be behind the door, nor did I really  _want_  to know. I was terrified and I couldn't get my wings to retract. But I had to do this for Keith. I had to make sure that he was alright and if he was actually serious about taking those damned Trials. I wanted him to know that I would love him no matter what he chose. 

Steeling myself, I knocked twice on the door. This time, thankfully, it didn't have an evil door-knocker like the one that had been in my dream. After a moment, the door swung open silently and I was met with possibly the most intimidating sight I'd ever seen. 

Three thrones stood in the center of the room, a white, grey, and black, the grey being the largest and studded with gleaming obsidian stones in a constellation pattern. The three men who occupied the seats were individually threatening.

 In the white and black seats, an obvious set of twins who I knew had to be Shiro and Kuron, the Gatekeepers. One sat neatly, regarding me with an interested gaze, legs crossed, his head of white hair matching his throne. The other twin, black-haired, lounged in his own seat, looking bored. His legs were thrown over one of the armrests, leaning against the other, and his sultry gaze slid up and down my body with vague boredom.

The grey throne held Mister, who was looking at me with an expression halfway between a glare and a smirk of amusement. I sunk to a kneel, bowing my head respectfully. I heard the black-haired twin giggle mockingly and flushed. Mister spoke up. 

"Hello, little angel. What are you doing in my Kingdom?" His voice was deep and gravely and I couldn't quite place his accent, but I could hear the slight tone of a threat behind his voice nevertheless. I'm sure he didn't want me here just as much as I didn't, but I had a job to do. 

"Hello, your majesty. I'm here to see Keith," I replied, looking up but not standing. Mister's black eyes bore into my own and I couldn't help but flinch. 

"Aren't we all," the king muttered, frowning.

"Pardon?" I asked. I'd assumed that at least Keith's father and brothers would have seen him.

Mister sighed. "Keith is taking the Trials as of now."

I felt my stomach rise to my throat. I was too late- it was up to Keith now. Life or death. 

I rose to my feet, wings shivering. "How long has it been?"

"Long enough," the black-haired twin commented lazily. 

Mister shot a glare at his son. "He should be out soon enough. Are you here to..." he paused, sneering, " _escort_  him back up to the Midworld?" 

I hesitated. Was I?

"I'm here for Keith to make sure that he's alright. I don't plan on taking him from his home. He can do that when he's ready."

Mister tilted his head to the side. He seemed to accept my answer.

"Well then, will you just stay here until he's done?" 

"I'll wait for as long as it takes," I replied fiercely. 

"And where will you go? Does your mother know you're here?"

I shook my head. Mister sighed, running a hand through his hair and standing up. "Well, I'll show you to Keith's room. You can wait there until he finishes the Trials." He walked down the stairs and passed right by me, breezing into the hallway.

Before I followed him, I looked to the white-haired twin. Shiro, I presumed. "Adam says 'hi'," I told him before turning around and following Mister out. 

Mister and I walked side-by-side in the hall, his black eyes glancing at me every so often. 

"I have to say, little angel, I think we got off on the wrong foot. A bad first impression that was probably more my fault than yours." 

He looked down at me with a curious expression. "I'm not one to apologize, but I'd like you to know that I do recognize that Keith has feelings for you. And that must mean that you can't be  _that_  bad." 

I offered the King of Darkness a smile and the edges of his eyes crinkled like he wanted to return it. 

"I understand," I replied, but really, I was over the moon that Mister was actually talking to me and didn't seem to hate me anymore. 

"Leaving the Upperworld without your mother's permission..." Mister clucked his tongue as he led me down a narrow hallway that branched off from the main hall. "That's pretty devilish, don't you think?"

I laughed dryly. "She's gonna kill me," I groaned. 

Mister grinned, "You'll get to stay down here then!"

Rolling my eyes, I began to see who Keith got his dark humor from. 

"Up here, on the right," Mister instructed me as we approached a door on the side of the wall. It was tall and round, painted a dark, navy blue with stars and landscapes on it. Mister hesitated. "Keith painted these," he said proudly. 

I leaned closer to the door, taking in the brushstrokes and individual streaks of colors. "I didn't know he could paint," I murmured. It was a beautiful piece of art. 

"You learn to do a lot of things when you're down here, angel."

I nodded slowly. I supposed so. 

Suddenly, I heard the echo of footsteps coming down the hallway and labored breathing. A young man, maybe in his thirties, came running down the hall, his eyes alert and wide. "Your majesty!" he cried, "Keith is awake!"

 

Mister snapped to attention, throwing his shoulders back. "Lead the way," he said in a low voice, eyes set. I made a move to follow him, but he held out a hand. "You stay here, angel. Once Keith has been examined, he'll likely retire to his room rather than the infirmary. I will bring him back here as soon as I can."

I nodded, then watched Mister and the young man hurry down the hallway to Keith. 

I collapsed against the wall, letting out a deep sigh of relief. He was awake. Keith had passed the Trials. Did this really mean that he would be able to love me now? That I could apologize for whatever happened to him in Kyoto and finally be with him? Did he even want to be with me, or did he take the Trials for another?

I had so many unanswered questions, but the biggest one was, 'Will he be okay?" I was stressed, nervous, relieved, and excited all at the same time. 

Feeling a little lightheaded, I slowly opened the door to Keith's room.

It was plain, to my surprise. Generic. Like the other room that I'd seen in the Underworld so far, and the hallways, the space was like a cave with a smooth, slate floor and rocky walls that sloped up in a curve to form a cozy little room. 

I saw Keith's bed (which was made, of course) two big trunks, a bookcase, a mini-fridge, the like. I liked it- however small and plain it was, it was still a part of Keith. 

As I sat down on the bed, the blankets  _poof_ -ed up around me, bringing with it the intense smell of Keith with it. Pine. Smoke. Mint. I felt my heart speed up at the scent and immediately fell back into the bed, burying my nose into one of the pillows that lay on the mattress. 

I felt like crying- I'd missed the way he smelled. The way his voice sounded in the morning. His hands on my face. His dark eyes. It had only been a few days apart from each other, but our harsh separation had brought with it the feeling of heartbreak and loneliness. I just wanted to be with him again so he could assure me that everything was okay. 

That everything was going to  _be_ okay. 

I wasn't sure how long I waited for Keith on his bed. Seconds, minutes, hours. I just stayed awake, looking up at his ceiling, pacing the room, finding little scraps of unfinished paintings on his walls, running my fingers over the spines of the books on his shelf. 

The only thing I really knew was the sound of heavy footfalls coming down the hallway outside. I turned from my spot at the bookshelf and watched in wonder as the door opened. Mister came inside with Keith in his arms, followed closely by the Twins. Mister glanced up at me momentarily before hurrying over to Keith's bed and setting him down on it. 

I noticed that his eyes were closed and I immediately began to panic. As if sensing my stress, Mister looked up. "He's okay. Just exhausted."

I moved closer to the bed, kneeling beside it and taking one of Keith's hands in mine. To my horror, he was covered in bruises. "What happened?" I asked worriedly. 

Mister grimaced. "The Trials did not best him, but neither did they leave him unscathed. He will heal, though." 

I looked down at Keith and smoothed his hair away from his forehead. I was just happy being near him, touching him, feeling his slow, pulsating aura gather around me like a blanket. 

"Come on, boys, let's give them some time," Mister muttered to the Twins, who nodded and followed their father out. 

Grateful for the privacy, I moved from my place on the floor to lay down next to Keith on the bed. He was breathing deeply and it didn't look like he was in too much pain, for which I was relieved. 

Finally able to relax, I settled down next to my devil, contentedly placing my head to his chest. 

_Thu-thump_

_Thu-thump_

_Thu-thump_

I grinned, my own heart beating in time with Keith's. It was cliche, but I couldn't help it. 

"I love you," I whispered. I always would. 


	42. A Bond of Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and nox talk about the ceremony and we catch up on the happenings of the past few months

_Keith_

_[_ **_Several months later_ ** _]_

The ceremony was going to be perfect. True, it had been a little short notice (well, actually very short notice). Also true, I was scared out of my mind. But I knew that, even still, it would be perfect.

A little more than two months ago, when Lance and I had been snug in our apartment, working things out in the Midworld, Lux had paid us a visit.

"I think it's only appropriate that we have a ceremony," she'd said in reference to Lance and I finally being together.

We'd both thought that she'd meant a wedding and, although she had initially intended it to only be a little get-together where we said vows and whatnot, she was perfectly happy turning the whole thing into a big affair, complete with cake.

I'd never seen a real wedding, let alone planned one, but she and Lance worked themselves up into this happy frenzy. Lance had kissed my brow and smiled, telling me that he'd handle everything, before he and Lux were whisked up to the Upperworld.

Since then, Lance had been anxiously excited, planning this and that and the other thing and, frankly, I felt useless, but as I tried to help out more and more, I began to realize how much it meant to him.

Lance was a romantic, I knew that. He liked big gestures and passion, which I could certainly respect, even if it wasn't totally my own style. I regulated the progress of the planning via the questions he asked me. It started with the big questions, like where I wanted the ceremony to be, where I wanted to honeymoon, who I wanted to invite, and then got more and more nitpicky, down to the flowers and cake and time.

I knew that Lance still felt guilty about me taking the Trials- he saw it as me giving up a part of myself for him, but I insisted that it didn't change anything besides the amount of time I could spend in the Underworld. And he didn't understand that I would give anything to be with him.

After passing the Trials, I'd felt like everything I knew to be my own emotions changed. Everything got more intense. My anger, my sadness, my guilt, it all became so much more clear instead of the muddled mess it had been before. And with those emotions came so many new feelings that I'd never known to exist. Passion as I kissed Lance, kindness as I understood my father and his own emotions, and, of course, love.

Waking up next to Lance that morning after the Trials, I'd pressed a hand to my chest and felt the rhythmic beat below my palm. And looking down at the angel, I'd felt a flood of happiness and affection that caught me off-guard. Unfortunately, I started crying, and Lance freaked out, thinking that he'd done something wrong.

But he had done the opposite. Lance had saved me. He'd cared for me and understood me and forgiven me over and over and to him, I owed everything. He'd set me free and I couldn't put it into words how much it meant to me. That morning and every morning since I'd told him I'd loved him because I could and I did.

Yes, I was still moody and blunt and sometimes a bit dark, but I was able to find a sincere side of me, a part of me that had been hidden.

Anyway, back to the wedding. Or ceremony. Or whatever it was. I knew that mortals usually waited years of being in a relationship together to get married, but Lux had insisted that the ceremony was definitely not a traditional wedding.

"You  _are_  prophesied to be together, but if anything happens and you two decide to break apart or stop being together, you're free to do that. The ceremony is a symbolic gesture that shows that you'll always be bonded, not specifically by a romantic relationship. It could've just been a friendship."

I tried not to dwell on the meaning of the ceremony too much until it was actually getting close to the date, which happened to be at the end of the summer, the beginning of autumn. Lance and Lux grew more and more flustered the closer the ceremony drew, so I tried to help out as much as possible.

The save-the-dates were sent out as a formality (we were only inviting three mortals, but it was customary), and then the invitations. We invited our friends from our journeys in the Midworld- Allura, the floral shop owner, who Lance had asked to be our florist, and of course, Hunk and Shay, and then Pidge, Rover, and Coran from the SAL.

We also invited Acxa and the rest of her team by request of Dad, as well as Krolia, who I'd never met but insisted on inviting because she was my sort-of mother. Then our parents, the Twins, Matt and Adam, few more of Lance's siblings and the Blade. Dad had warmed up to Lance considerably and, whenever we went to visit (always less than three days at a time, for Lance), I was happy to see the two of them playing chess or cracking jokes.

The Twins and Matt and Adam still hadn't reunited, so Lance and I were kind of excited to see how they'd react when they'd see each other at the wedding, but Dad was resentful. I knew why- the Twins and Lance's brothers were meant to be together, just like Lance and I had, and he didn't want to lose them. But, thankfully, Dad was opening up to new ideas.

He'd recruited Acxa and her team to the Blade- the first mortal members- and he had slowly been introducing Lotor to life in the Underworld. Lotor turned out to actually be a pretty nice guy after he was given a few stern talking-to's and some much-needed attention and affection, but I still had a grudge against him after what had happened in the Trials, even if it wasn't actually him.

Dad and I talked about how I would totally be open to some new siblings if he was up to it, but he'd declined, telling me that he actually wanted to try repairing his relationship with Lux before he tried anything new. This surprised me and, honestly, I kind of hoped that the two of them might actually work things out. Again, I was relieved to the max that Lance and I were in no way related, even if our parents might one day fall in love again.

Speaking of which, Dad finally told me how he and Missus met and, ironically, it was on the shore of Samoa. So, naturally, since Lance and I had visited the island too, we agreed that it would be nice to have the ceremony there. It had deep roots within our history and it meant that Hunk and Shay wouldn't have to travel and Hunk could cater.

I'd requested the venue, but Lance was insistent that we honeymoon in Greece, which was fine by me. He'd gotten this dreamy look in his eyes at the thought and I just couldn't possibly say no to him.

Lance and Hunk had secretly handled catering because they wanted to 'surprise me' with the food, but I'm sure that Lance had talked with Dad about what I liked best, so I wasn't worried. Two of Dad's only requests for the wedding were 'nothing too frilly', which I found hilarious, along with 'something interesting with the cake', which was understandable.

Dad, like me, didn't want a ceremony that was all white and pretty and plain - I wanted a mix of our two worlds, something raw that showed that the ride hadn't been all sweet and no sour. I think Lance understood.

As the day grew closer and closer, Lance and I had to make the tough decision of what to do with the three mortals that were attending the wedding. We talked with Missus and Dad and decided that, in order for everyone to be comfortable, we'd tell them the truth. Lance spent a week with Allura, getting to know her and finding out if it really was best to tell her and, not surprisingly, they got along really well.

Lance told me that Allura had been confused at first, thinking that Lance was going crazy, but when he'd shown her his wings, she'd finally understood and promised that our secret was safe with her. I couldn't wait to meet her again.

With Hunk and Shay, it was harder for Lance. Hunk was his best friend and he didn't want Hunk to feel betrayed that Lance hadn't told him sooner. But, as I knew he would, the Samoan was incredibly supportive, as was Shay, and even excited.

Lance had explained how wide-eyed Hunk had gotten at the thought of meeting the King of the Underworld and the Queen of the Upperworld and had immediately gotten into a cooking frenzy, desperate to impress our parents with his cooking. I knew he would.

The ceremony drew closer and, soon enough, it was the night before. Lance was surprisingly calm, claiming with a smile that he needed his beauty rest for the next day and that stress would give him wrinkles, but I was a little bit disappointed when he told me that he'd be spending the night in the Upperworld.

"It's not good for the groom to see the groom before the wedding," he'd protested at my pout.

"But it's not tomorrow yet," I'd said, kissing his jaw, his nose, his chin.

"It will be in a few hours, dummy," Lance had sighed, smiling.

I'd frowned. "You're sure you can't stay?"

Lance had rolled his eyes. "You know that I want to, but we'll be spending every night together on our honeymoon." My cheeks had burned bright red as Lance laughed.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he'd said before kissing me slowly. "I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he'd waved goodbye and walked out of our little apartment.

"Bright and early," I'd said aloud, reminding myself that I still needed to prep everyone down in the Underworld. I'd then headed down there myself, only to be met by a bachelor party hosted by the Twins and the Blade. It had been... crazy.

Now, it was the morning of the wedding and I was, quite honestly, freaking the fuck out. The Underworld was in a calm chaos as Shiro and Kuron wrapped up the last of their sorting by the Gates and the Blades fidgeted with their grey suits and gold ties.

Dad and I were in the throne room, soon to be joined by the Twins.

"I'm proud of you, son," Dad said quietly, something I'd never thought I'd hear him say, especially after the Trials.

He turned towards me, wearing an all-black suit with velvet lapels and a light gold kerchief tucked in his breast pocket. His black hair was slicked back in an effortless swoop and he had his horns on display, a rare occasion. Dads horns were like bulls- protruding from his temples. They looked like hot coals- black and shot with red and gold and he looked even more kingly when they were out.

I looked down at what Dad was holding. A crown. "What's that?" I asked hesitantly.

Dad chuckled. "An heirloom. Something to remind you that, no matter what nasty things I may have said, you're always my son and you're always the Prince of the Underworld, heartbeat or not."

My heart swelled with emotion. "Dad..." I started, but didn't have the words to finish. He looked a little uncomfortable, so I cracked a smile. "What's going on here? Sentimentality?"

Dad looked relieved and I took the crown from him. I turned to look in the mirror and lifted the crown to rest gently on my head. It had weight to it, but it was gorgeously crafted, so I expected it.

The crown was pure black and looked to be made with small antlers, shards of obsidian and moonstones nestled between the prongs. Five points rose from the front edge of the headpiece, spirals that ended in crescents that mimicked the phases of the moon. It felt comfortable and powerful on my head, nestled neatly atop my messy hair.

I released my horns (did they look suddenly longer, larger?) and they rose to frame the crown, their tips transferring from black to red. Dad straightened my tie- we were wearing nearly identical suits, except I wore a white tie, and I realized, standing in the mirror next to him, how alike we looked. Father had the handsomeness of a 1950's actor, all suave and sly, while I had the "interesting" combination of messy black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.

Even now, Dad looked more like an older brother than a father, as he liked appearing as a young man more than someone more his age. But I could still see the resemblance. Dad clapped me on the shoulder and smiled.

"Let's go get 'em, tiger. Yeet."


	43. Processional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance prepares for the ceremony with lux, his brothers, and romelle

_Lance_

The Samoan sky was bright and beautiful when Mom and I arrived on the island. I closed my eyes, breathing in the smell of the sea. Mom tugged on my hand, her eyes excited as she pulled me to the shore. 

Laid out on the beach, I could already see the set-up of the ceremony- a few rows of black and white chairs in the sand and an aisle in the center that led up to a large, arched trellis that was completely covered in peonies and daffodils. 

I nearly gasped at the simple beauty of the whole thing- it was just how I'd imagined it to be with the white-capped waves behind it, the palm trees surrounding the beautiful beach. It looked like paradise. 

With a nudge, Mom led me forward to a billowing white tent that stood several meters back from the ceremony area and I could already hear laughter and voices coming from inside it. Farther down the beach, I could see an identical tent (albeit black) and, with a slight outward touch, I could feel dark auras fluttering around the tent, excited and anxious and happy. I couldn't help but smile. Keith must be in there. 

Before I could linger too long, though, I heard Matt's voice as he burst from the tent, his grin huge. "About time, slowpoke! Come on! We're all waiting!" I noticed his glance towards the black tent as well (of course, he knew that the Twins would be here) and offered him a knowing glance. His cheeks pinked before he dragged me inside the tent. 

Inside the tent, it was a flurry of motion. To my left sat a large table with three boutonnieres set out alongside my giant bouquet. I reached out to touch the waterfall of flowers tied together with silk but pulled back my hand at the last second, not quite ready to hold it yet. 

The boutonnieres were meant for my groomsmen- Hunk, Matt, and Adam. I knew that, on Keith's table, he must have two and then a corsage, for he chose Shiro, Kuron, and Acxa to be his grooms...-people. 

On another table on the far wall of the tent held refreshments and small appetizers- garlic knots (my favorite), lemon ginger tea to soothe nerves, and assorted finger sandwiches. A rack with tuxes and dresses stood next to the table, but a lot of the hangers were empty as most of our guests had already changed. 

My own outfit was zipped up in a velvet bag on the end of the rack and I opened it eagerly. Mom had picked it out for me and I hadn't seen it yet. A glimpse of off-white. Gold. I unzipped the bag completely. 

Before me hung a gorgeous- "LANCE!"

I turned, eyes growing wide at the sound of my sister's voice. "Romelle!" I cried out, running forward to embrace her tightly. My older sister still smelled the same- like roses and churros- and her honey-colored hair was soft as always on my face. 

"I didn't think you'd make it," I mumbled into her shoulder. 

"And miss my favorite brother's wedding? I don't think so." She pulled back, her halo spinning excitedly. She was already wearing her outfit- a white halter dress tied at the waist with thick, gold twine. It was what all the female (or female-identifying) angels were asked to wear, while the male (or male-identifying) angels were asked to wear white suits with gold bow ties. 

I smiled broadly at Romelle, then pointed at my hair. "Do you think you can do anything for this bedhead?" 

Romelle nodded happily, "It would be my pleasure. And you have to catch me up on everything between you and this Keith guy, too! I feel so out of the loop- I was in Paris for too long, I swear."

I laughed and sat down at one of the vanity tables that lined the right side of the tent. Romelle immediately got to work on my stubborn hair, shooting questions at me with growing pep. By the time she'd exhausted her curiosity, she'd finished my hair. 

"You're all set, my dear. I think Mom has something for you, though, so go check in with her."

By now, angels were shifting in and out of the tent, carrying arrays of flowers or other things needed for the ceremony to and fro. I felt my nerves really begin to set in, so I carefully picked up a steaming mug of ginger tea and sipped it cautiously. 

After a few minutes, I felt calm enough to continue with my own preparation. I sought after Mom, who was going over the ceremony plans with Matt and Adam, who looked positively dashing in their white suits. 

I waited patiently to the side until there was a pause in the conversation and I interjected. "Mom, Romelle said that you had something for me?" 

Mom's face immediately split into a pretty smile, making my heart warm. "Romelle was right." She led me over to the table where my bouquet lay, then reached into her pocket and extracted a small, beautiful broach. 

It looked to be crafted of lapis lazuli; brilliant blue shot with darker lines of grey. The stone was sculpted into two small angel wings that were curved inward, cradling a tiny black opal between them.

Mom carefully pinned the broach onto the silk that was tied around my bouquet and smiled ruefully. "I hope that it's enough to be 'something old' and 'something blue'."

I felt tears rising to my eyes. "It's perfect, Mom," I said in a choked whisper, in awe of how something small could be so precious. Mom pulled me into her arms and suddenly, I was a little kid again, running around the front lawn with reckless abandon, my tiny wings bereft of flight feathers but flapping frantically nevertheless. 

I remembered my happiness back then, my carefree spirit, my trust that I would always belong in that grass, upon those clouds, in that house, under Mom's watchful gaze. I had trusted in a wild, beautiful life, but I had not known then that it would lead me here. A part of me mourned that naïvety and I felt my tears bubble over my lashes, but I knew that this was where I was meant to be.

My mom and siblings at my back, Keith beside me, our future ahead. 

Mom pulled back, looking me in the eye. "Are you ready, my dear?"

I wiped my tears. "I am."


	44. I Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> c e r e m o n y t i m e <333333333

_Keith_

I stood nervously at the trellis, trying my best to listen to the waves to calm my nerves. Looking over the crowd, I breathed deeply, trying to slow my hammering heart. To my left, rows of black folding chairs were filled with my companions, my friends, my family.

I spotted Ulaz and Thace, the right-hand men of Kolivan (the leader of the Blade) who also happened to be my adoptive 'gay uncles', a title they claimed for themselves. They were grinning toothily at me and I could imagine Thace whispering to his husband, "I told you he'd end up gay."

Just a few seats away from them sat Kolivan himself, chatting busily with the woman who I now knew as Krolia, my sort-of mom. I desperately wanted to meet her but hadn't had time to before the ceremony began. I knew that Dad had talked with her, though, explaining the whole situation, and her eyes kept flicking up to where I stood, a curious, kind expression on her face.

The rest of the Blade occupied most of the seats in the back, so my eyes traveled to the front of the seats. There were four seats reserved in front for Dad, the Twins, and Acxa, but behind those seats sat Lotor and the other three generals. Lotor was talking with the women in a relaxed manner, looking infuriatingly dashing in his black suit, but I brushed off my annoyance quickly, determined not to get distracted by my half-brother.

My eyes shifted over to the angels. I noticed several people I knew- Pidge, Coran, Rover, Shay, and offered them a small wave. Behind them, surrounded by stunningly bright, laughing angels. I picked out Allura, our florist. Her eyes traveled over the two crowds in awe, a small smile on her lips. I added her to my growing list of people I wanted to get to know better.

It was then that I noticed that Allura wasn't the only one observing the two crowds- it seemed like everyone casually shot glances over to the other side of the aisle. I reminded myself that angels and devils rarely- if  _ever_ \- had contact with each other and it was probably foreign to them, seeing their opposites so close.

Suddenly, I picked up on soft music. My eyes darted away from the crowds to a small string quartet over to the side of the crowd, their halos gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. As if wanting to hear the music itself, the ocean waves seemed to quiet, letting the music flow over the beach.

It was, in every way, heavenly. I never knew that something so small, so plain as a few stringed instruments could make such a beautiful sound. The crowd silenced as the song began to pick up a sweet, beautiful melody. I felt it in my soul.

A new aura entered the mix and I looked up. There, walking down from the white tent, came the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

 _Lux_.

I had only met her briefly, and then, she'd been all frazzled and excited with Lance, barely staying a few minutes. But even then, I'd known who she was the instant I'd seen her. She had the kind of beauty that made you double-take every time you looked at her.

And now, here she was, walking gracefully down the sand in a pale gold capelet dress, eyes set, her aura washing over the crowd like the tide behind me. My eyes flicked from my mother-in-law to the devils who sat in the seats and was a little embarrassed to see that they all had an awe-struck look on their faces as Lux floated down the aisle, her wings fluttering gently in the breeze that came off the ocean.

She came to stand next to me, where a priest would normally stand, and smiled warmly. Instantly, I felt my father's presence and looked up to the black tent. He emerged similarly to Lux, head held high, proud and strong. His own wings were semi-spread, enough to show their size but still closed enough to not look arrogant.

With a glance to the angels, I almost laughed to myself when their faces were mirrors of what the devils' had just been at the sight of Lux. I realized that it was admiration and felt proud of my dad.

Dad's eyes did not wander, though. They were locked on the woman beside me, an even, calm expression on his face as he made his way up the aisle to meet us. He and Lux clasped hands, but it was closer to an expression of respect and admiration than a handshake.

Dad took his place beside Lux.

Then, another familiar aura entered the fray. From the black tent emerged Shiro, his hair as white as his tie. As soon as he'd taken five steps away from the tent, a figure from the angel tent stepped out too. I saw their eyes lock and realized with a jolt that the tall brunette was Adam. Five steps later, Kuron appeared, followed by a shorter angel who I assumed was Matt.

Acxa was next, her grey dress flowing out behind her in the breeze, and last was Hunk. The procession walked down the gently sloped dunes to the aisle, filing behind each other. Black, white, devil, angel, single file. Finally, they reached us and split off, the devils lining up on my side, the angels to what would become Lance's. I shot a glance back at my brothers and smiled tentatively. They looked like they were glowing with happiness. I knew that if I looked at Lance's brothers, I would see the same expression.

The quartet went quiet and it felt like the whole beach took a deep breath in together. A beautiful melody started and the last figure from the white tent emerged. The crowd stood.

Lance walked down the beach looking every inch the angel he was. He was wearing a paper-thin, silky robe that hung off his shoulders, tied at the waist and embroidered with silk thread. The robe was open beneath his knees and I noticed that he, too, was barefoot. 

In his hands, he held a bouquet that was dripping with scarlet, vermilion, and tangerine blooms, the flowers identical to those draped on the trellis- poppies, daffodils, peonies, arum-lilies, etc, and pinned to the lapels of our groomsmen.

Lance's wings were held around him, not thrown back like Dad's, and I realized why as he drew closer- nestled between the feathers were small, gold flowers, gleaming in the sunlight. The same flowers seemed to have been woven around his halo in a sort of floating flower crown, though I didn't know how it was possible.

I saved the best for last, though- Lance's soft, sweet smile, cheeks pink, blue eyes wide and holding mine. I felt the breath  _whoosh_  out of my lungs and I did my best to smile back. Beside me, Missus squeezed my hand. I felt a jolt of electricity pass up my arm, leaving it tingly.

I couldn't look anywhere but at him, my beautiful angel, as he glided serenely down the aisle, the quartet serenading him as he walked, feet hardly sinking into the sand.

Lance reached the trellis and was even more stunning up close. He was practically glowing and I could barely move. He looked at me shyly at first, and then with a teasing smile. The four of us formed a circle- Lance and I across from each other, Lux and Dad doing the same, and Lux started speaking.

"Keith, the Ascended Devil, third son of the Lord of Death, Prince of the Underworld, and Prophesied Link to the Upperworld, do you swear to honor and love the man who stands before you?"

She had insisted on the vows, but my voice was shaking so much, I was barely able to cough out, "I do."

"Will you honor, care for, comfort, and remain loyal to this man, until the day you die or your fate decrees otherwise?"

"I will." Lance beamed. I nervously looked at my Dad. His expression was difficult to read, but he was smiling at me, and that was all that mattered. He looked at Lance and began his phrase.

"And Lance, the Descended Angel, son of the Lady of Life, Prince of the Upperworld, and Prophesied Link to the Underworld, do you swear to honor and love the man who stands before you?"

Lance turned from me to my father, a promise in his blue eyes. "I do."

"Will you honor, care for, comfort, and remain loyal to..." Dad paused. The corners of his eyes were crinkled crows feet from his smile, "to my son, until the day you die or your fate decrees otherwise?"

Tears fall down Lance's cheeks and I think I'm crying too. He whispers, "I will."

Lux takes over again. She's smiling at my father, and warmth radiates off of her as she opens her arms, voice cascading over the crowd. "Then it is so. Devil and Angel, Mortal and Mortal, Man and Man, together, united, under the authorities of the Second and Third realms. Please join hands."

I reach forward and Lance's palms slid into mine, our fingers intertwined. Lux and Dad place their own hands over ours, and the world is white and black, swirling together, light and dark tying a bond. I can only feel Lance's hands in mine. It's over as soon as it's started, and the world comes back into focus. The first thing I see is Lance's hopeful face, gorgeous, and then the slight weight on my left ring finger. I look down. A simple, smooth white band. Lance's is black.

" _Amore Vobiscum_ ," Lux says, voice like warm chocolate chip cookies, and she and Dad step back just in time for me to gather Lance towards me, cupping his cheeks as I kiss him. And it's all I've wanted for so long. 


	45. Redemption Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the long-awaited twins x angels reunion and,,, something else <3

_Lance_

"There he is!"

Adam met me with open arms at the reception, hugging me tightly, decked out in his suit and tie, looking cool and fancy at the same time.

"Look at you," Adam said warmly, clasping my shoulders, "All grown up." I smiled up at him, about to reply, when Matt interrupted with a giant bear hug, jumping up and down like a little kid.

"My little brother!" he crowed, ruffling my hair obnoxiously.

"Matt!" I yelped, desperately trying to flatten down my hair after Romelle had spent so much time combing it.

"Stop fussing, bro, you look awesome," Matt grinned, flicking my flower-filled halo.

"Was I okay up there? Was I smiling too much?" I asked. The ceremony had been better than I could have ever imagined, but it felt more like a wedding than anything. I was thoroughly reminded by Mom that it  _wasn't_ , but it had an eerily similar feel to it. Not that I minded, necessarily... It just felt really intense.

"No, don't worry," Adam comforted, "You looked radiant."

"Yeah, those wings were intense," Matt commented. I smiled, missing the feel of my feathers at my back. For the ceremony, the devils and angels had been asked to keep their tails and wings retracted respectively, but now that I didn't feel the weight of my wings behind me, I felt naked.

And, speak of the devil (literally), there was a sudden clamor behind us, and I, as well as all of the other guests in the reception tent, turned to see Shiro and Kuron, the Twins that I'd only ever seen twice before, carrying Keith up above their heads, shouting and laughing as Keith had an amusingly terrified expression on his face.

The Twins wore black suits like Mister and the rest of the Blade, with shining gold ties. Their tails, identical to the one Keith had, slithered and swung behind them (oblivious to the request to keep them retracted), and their horns protruded from their foreheads a few inches tall. They laughed obnoxiously as they set Keith down, pushing him around and poking him.

I cleared my throat, smiling at Keith, and the three devils turned to look at me. Immediately, Adam and Matt stiffened visibly. The Twin's tails simultaneously straightened with a surprisingly loud  _snap!_ and their smiles dropped. I felt Adam's hand on my shoulder grow tight.

Keith looked to his brother's in confusion before a look of realization washed over him. The room was silent. I panicked and awkwardly started talking, desperate to release the tension between the Twins and my brothers.

"Keith, why don't you come over here. I want you to meet my brothers." Keith's sharp eyes were bright with anxiety, but I calmed my own face, smiling a little to encourage him. Keith walked forward slowly, the Twins following him, a step behind. When Keith reached me, I smiled confidently.

 _Trust me_.

"Adam, Matt, this is Keith, as you know, and his two brothers, Shiro and Kuron." I watched all of their expressions carefully. The Twin shot each other nervous glances, looking anywhere other than my brothers.

Adam, the lifesaver, was the one to react first. He held a hand out to Shiro, warm and inviting. His halo spun wildly, the opposite of his calm demeanor. The white-haired twin looked from Adam's hand to his face and back again before reaching out as well and clasping his hand. A bolt of electricity shot out from Adam's halo, hitting the ground with a crackle. 

"Hello, Shiro, it's nice to meet you," Adam said evenly. I could sense his anxiety, cautiousness, though. 

Shiro nodded, white hair bright under the lights of the reception tent. "You as well," he replied. 

I looked at Matt expectantly. Kuron, the black-haired twin, was regarding my brother carefully, his glowing yellow eyes trained on Matt's face. Matt held out his own hand, small and shaking, try as he might to be tough, and Kuron stared at it for a few moments before shaking his hand silently, holding on longer than he should have.

The Twins knew that the whole cheating fiasco had been a lie and my brothers knew that the devils weren't at fault and I began to see a kind of understanding forgiveness fall over their faces. I knew that they'd be okay. 

Keith's eyes flicked to mine and he returned my smile. "Well," I said, clapping, "what are we doing, just standing around?" 

With that, music started and the sand beneath our feet turned to smooth, grey slate. It was the same as that of the floors of the Underworld, I noticed, and it was cool and stable beneath my feet. 

On one side of the tent were several large tables set with fine china and silverware, huge bouquets of flowers similar to my own bursting out of vases as the centerpieces, plush chairs with comfortable-looking cushions waiting patiently.

Another side of the giant tent held a table with countless varieties of decadent sweets for dessert, including our cake. It was hidden right now- a large cardboard box with the word 'surprise!' scrawled on the side in Hunk's handwriting, but I already had a vague idea of what it looked like. I'd left the rest up to Hunk, though. 

For a solid half hour, Keith and I passed around the room, talking with our guests and receiving compliments and congratulations. "This really feels like a wedding, Keith," I'd whispered to him after we'd talked to everyone. 

He smiled crookedly. "Well, I don't mind being your husband."

I blushed and shook my head, leaning into him. Keith slid his hand into mine and squeezed. "We actually did it," I said softly. 

He kissed my forehead. "We did."

It was then that Hunk called for dinner and we all took our seats in the blissfully soft chairs. The tables were seated with 10 seats and our table consisted of Keith and me, Nox, Mom, the Twins, Matt, Adam, Hunk, and Shay. 

Before we started, Lux opened the opportunity for toasts. Hunk, my best man, was the first to stand, an apron over his suit. 

"I would just like to take the time to say a few words. I was informed when I was invited here that I was one of three "mortals" attending. You have to know," Hunk grinned, "that's a little imposing, being the caterer, y'know." Some people laughed. "But, in all seriousness, I would give anything to be here. Lance has been my best friend for years and it's actually pretty relieving to finally know why he's so mysterious. I've talked with a bunch of you and I'm finally able to see the family that he's been talking about for so long. 

"In terms of food, when Lance asked me to cater, I knew that I had to do something special. As some of you may know, when Lance met Keith, they wrote a list of things that Keith wanted to do up here." He paused, then looked down at me with a goofy smile. "I got all this intel from your mom, of course." Mom winked at me. "These adventures are what brought the two of them together and, ultimately, what led them to this point. 

"Here, all of us together, celebrating the bond of two wonderful friends of mine. So, without further ado, I present to you tonight's meals which correspond with the five adventures on Keith and Lance's list." 

My jaw dropped and Keith started laughing a bit, the guests chattering between themselves. I tugged on Hunk's sleeve before he could get to serving and grinned. "Thank you," I said earnestly, putting every ounce of meaning into my words. 

Hunk smiled gently. "You don't need to thank me."

Soon, amazing scents of the dishes began to waft through the tent. They were overwhelming delicious and I felt my mouth begin to water. The first course was spring salad with edible flowers.  _See_   _flowers_. Second was homemade cumin potato wedges with ketchup.  _Go to a concert_. 

The third course was angel hair pasta with mini-meatballs ( _the Stationary_ Angel _Legion_ ) and fourth was fa'apapa, a kind of coconut bread which was a traditional Samoan dish ( _go to an island_ ). I sighed in wonder, leaning back in my chair. It was amazing, really, what Hunk had come up with. 

The last course was, of course, the cake. Everyone stood from their seats and migrated over to the table where the giant cardboard box sat, covering the masterpiece that Hunk had made. With a careful flourish, Hunk pulled the box up and off of the cake. I felt my heart swell. 

It was made up of three layers- simple with a black bottom layer, grey middle, and white top. The cake topper was of two grooms- one in white and the other in black- holding hands. Around the two figurines stood delicate curls of green chocolate.  _Bamboo._

I felt tears rise to my eyes but blinked them back, looking to Keith, who had an awe-struck expression on his face. 

"Hunk, it's-" I whispered. I didn't finish. Hunk handed me a knife and Keith and I both grasped it, cutting an even slice. We promptly smashed handfuls of cake over each other's mouths (tradition!) and Keith leaned forward and kissed me, frosting on our lips, my heart so happy I could die.

...

_Shiro_

The guests had migrated to the beach outside the tent and were setting up blankets on the sand, sitting down on the shore to watch the sunset. Ahead of me, I could see Keith and Lance together, leaning against each other as they sat. 

Their first dance had been beautiful- I had no idea that Keith could dance so well. Elegant and serene, they'd been graceful as they danced. It reminded me of dancing with Adam in the kitchen of our apartment all those years ago. 

Sighing, I laid out my own blanket on the sand, sitting down with a glass of champagne. Adam had been stiff when we'd finally reunited- his kind handshake foreign to me. But I was just happy that he'd been willing to talk to me after I'd accused him of all those awful things back then. 

The waves lapped quietly at the shore and the sunset- scarlet and streaked with orange clouds- reflected off the dark blue water prettily. 

"Do you have room for one more?" 

I nearly spat out my champagne at the sound of Adam's voice beside me. Looking up, I met his eyes, nodding once. Adam smiled gratefully at the sand and sat down next to me. I noticed that he kept his distance. 

"That was a pretty good wedding, right?" I said lamely, trying to start up a conversation. 

Adam nodded. "I'm happy for Lance."

"He seems like a good guy. I've only met him a few times, though."

His eyes wandered over to where Lance and Keith sat. "He's a good brother," he said reassuringly. 

I sipped my champagne quietly. I knew that I had to say something, but I didn't know how to word it right. I snuck a glance at Adam from the corner of my eyes and noticed that he was wearing an expression I recognized. It was the face he made when he was waiting for an apology after one of our fights. He was pleasantly stubborn like that, his eyes patient, mouth set in the smallest of smiles. He didn't look at me. 

I knew how this went- he and I had had our fair share of arguments. I knew the routine. 

"I'm sorry," I started. He didn't look at me yet. "For not trusting you. For trusting some stranger with good photoshop abilities over my own boyfriend. For accusing you. For not listening to your side of the story. For leaving without a goodbye. For everything."

Adam paused, then finally turned. Our eyes met. He'd grown up, matured a little. His hair was longer, he was wearing new glasses, there was a new kind of wisdom hidden in his eyes, but he was still my Adam. 

"I'm sorry too," he said simply. 

I stared at him, baffled. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything."

Adam tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry I abandoned you. I'm sorry I didn't fight for you."

Words were lost to me. Had he been feeling guilty as well? He had no need to- Adam was in no way at fault for what had happened. 

Before I could say anything, I heard a snippet of Kuron's voice. He was standing before a young man who was at least a full head shorter than him. Adam's attention turned to them too. I heard Kuron say, "Can we start over?" 

The angel nodded. 

"Hi, I'm Kuron." I smiled. My brother was so awkward. 

"I'm Matt." They shook hands. I felt Kuron's want to hold onto Matt's hand for longer, to pull him to his chest and keep him closer, but he let go. 

"Want to sit with me?" Kuron asked. I flushed with second-hand embarrassment. He was being too formal and it was almost funny, but I knew he was trying his best. 

The angel nodded again. I watched them settle down on his blanket together, their shoulders just barely touching. I felt my heart go out to my twin. I was happy for him. 

I turned to Adam again, but his eyes were cast down, staring at the space between us. I looked down too. My hand was between our two thighs, resting on the picnic blanket. Adam slowly moved his right hand from its place in his lap to hover over mine, then softly touched his fingers to my knuckles. 

I felt my breath catch in my throat. Adam didn't say anything, but he slowly turned my hand over, tracing a line over my palm with his index finger. Gently, he slid his fingers between mine, our palms together. Adam finally looked up. 

"I don't want to start over," he whispered, his gorgeous eyes catching in the sunlight. 

I squeezed his hand and smiled softly. "We don't have to." 

Adam closed his eyes and bowed his head, leaning forward ever so slightly until his forehead was against my lips. He let out a shuddering breath and I closed my eyes. 

"I missed you, Shiro," Adam whispered, leaning back to look me in the eyes. 

"I missed you more."

...

_Keith_

"Tell me a story." 

Lance and I were curled up against each other on our picnic blanket on the beach, Lance's wings surrounding us, my tail curled around his wrist like a bracelet. I knew nothing but his skin, the sky, and the ocean before us. 

Lance made a soft noise and looked at me, one eyebrow raised. "A story?" 

I nodded, leaning against his chest.

"A story..." Lance repeated. He cleared his throat and began. 

"One upon a time, there was a young man. He had a halo and wings and he was a son of the Lady of Light. He was made of clouds and sunlight and the Lady of Light had added Mexican hot chocolate to him when she'd formed him so he'd be warm and sweet, but spicy and determined as well. 

"One day, his mother told him that another boy, this one with horns and a tail, was wandering the Midworld and that he had to go take care of him and guide him on his journey. The young man was happy to oblige- he was naive, you see, and didn't understand at the time what his job would entail.

"The two young men met on the East Coast and made a plan to travel the world so that the devil-boy could experience everything he wanted to. They traveled to the west to see flowers and concerts and go on spy missions.

"They listened to bad music and the angel felt himself grow accustomed to the devil's presence, growing protective and caring towards the devil. He didn't know what his feelings meant, but he knew that he wanted to stay with him and find out where their story would take them. 

"But the young man was afraid that the devil didn't feel the same way- the devil-boy broke the angel's nose and called him names and was blunt and bold... and beautiful at the same time. The angel found himself falling in love with the devil-boy. 

"They went to an island in the ocean and they flew at night and the angel loved every moment. And yet, they both knew that they wouldn't be able to stay together for long. Their last stop was a forest in Japan. When they finished their walk in the forest, the devil got mad and told the angel that he could never love him. 

"And yet, even then, after his heart had broken, the angel knew that he wanted to at least speak with the devil, tell him that he still loved him. But, when he arrived in the Underworld, where the devil lived, he was surprised to find that the devil was taking the Trials to love. And it was then, after the Trials, that the angel knew that the devil was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

"The devil and the angel ended up getting married a few months later."

I smiled. "What happens next?" 

Lance laughed gently, leaning down to kiss me softly. 

"Whatever you'd like, my darling."

**_The end._ **


	46. final a/n

Hello, my loves! Ahhhhh! Did you guys enjoy the ending?

For those of you who haven't read my other klance works, this is the part of the fic where I talk about the process of writing it, give you some deleted scenes, pictures, inspo and behind the scenes action, and give acknowledgments :)

Alright, let's start off with a general thank you. For those of you who don't know, my name is Cal and this is my third full-length klance fic. I adore klance and it's probably one of my favorite ships to write, which is why this is also my third  _consecutive_ kl fic.

A little backstory, HnH started out as a note on my phone reading simply "death god fic!!!". I hadn't even thought that it would turn into a kl fic at all. I'm not really sure where I got the idea for it, but it started off with a few scenes about a protag interacting with his father, the King of Death, and a mortal. These scenes were later modified to show Keith's interactions with Nox in the first few chapters and the mortal turned into Lance.

The prologue of this work was originally published on August 18th, 2018, which means that it took 5 months to write, give or take a few days. This is also the longest fic I've ever written, beating SWM?s 30-something chapters with a whopping 43 chapters, plus a few pt1/pt2 chaps.

I'm really happy with the way that this fic turned out and I hope you enjoyed reading it too :)

Now, onto some deleted scenes! I always keep a little, unpublished chapter on the side whenever I'm writing so I can jot down notes for future chapters, or even write whole scenes for future use. However, these scenes don't always get included in the final chapters as I toy with the plot a lot and end up changing a lot of little things that can dramatically alter the way the story goes.

I often think that I don't really write the story, per se, I more of write the plot and let the story go wherever it wants. It's good to have a free mind when writing, but I also do make sure that I have at least some semblance of a plan so that I don't hit intense writer's block (a mistake I made a lot in my earlier pieces).

So, without further ado, here are some scenes that never made it to the final chapters (warning, uneditted):

**1-**

Lance sat next to me on the damp grass, spreading out his wings gingerly. I didn't look at him. My hands were laced behind my head and I was staring up at the stars.

"I don't have a mom," I said quietly. I didn't know why I said it, I just did. Lance turned to look at me and I shrugged. "Dad said he took rays of moonlight and strands of the night sky and then breathed death into me. I don't think that means a mum though."

Lance looked at me thoughtfully, "I don't have a dad," he said back, "But I wasn't made of anything cool like that. We're all made of clouds. She just sprinkles something else on us to make us individual."

I didn't look at him as I asked, "What was your 'something else'?"

Lance chuckled softly, "Mexican hot chocolate. The bricks that you stir into hot milk, not powder."

I thought for a moment, trying to remember if I'd ever had it. "The spicy kind," I tried finally.

Lance laughed again and I melted, "Yeah. That kind."

**2-**

I stared at Lance, fuming, "You don't understand, idiot! I can't love you!"

"Well, I have no choice!"

I knew he was right. It's what he told me. Angels had to love everyone. It was just part of being themselves- but for some reason, I didn't want that at all. I didn't want him to love me. I wanted him to hate me like I hated him so all this bullshit could just stop.

I felt a dark tint come over my eyes and I knew that the whites had gone black. That happened when I got angry. Lance stood, undeterred. His halo was spinning wildly, slightly off-kilter so it wobbled. I hated it. I hated everything about him. I had to. I hated his chocolate hair and caramel skin. I hated his laugh and his eyes and his lips.

I just wanted to return to the Underworld and never see him again.

**3- (this was an alternate start to the wedding/ceremony, so there are still some pieces which made it in)**

The whole crowd was silent. And then, there was Lance. A long white robe, tied at the waist and embroidered with gold thread, fluttered around him lightly. It looked paper-thin and silky as it hung off his shoulders. His wings, held loosely behind his back, had golden roses nestled between the glowing white feathers, matching the embroidery of his robe. I knew the wings were fake, a figment that Missus had provided after Lance had Fallen, but they looked just as magnificent as the ones that Lance used to have.

The same gold petals from the roses were nestled together with gold wire in a crown around his head. I saved the best for last, though- Lance's soft, sweet smile, cheeks pink, blue eyes wide and holding mine. I felt the breath  _whoosh_  out of my lungs and I did my best to smile back.

Beside me, Missus squeezed my hand. I felt a jolt of electricity pass up my arm, leaving it tingly. I let my gaze slide over to Dad, arm looped with Lance's, decked out in a charcoal suit and a gold tie. His hair was slicked back, and he kept on whispering things to Lance. I could only imagine he was making little jokes, telling Lance that my tie was crooked or that he'd make sure that the angel wouldn't fall or that Lance looked even more beautiful that Missus. Which he did.

As Lance walked down the long strip of soft moss, lotus flowers bloomed around his bare feet. I smiled wider. It was a nice touch. It was still odd, seeing Lance without his glowing halo, but with or without his angelic abilities, he was still my Lance, and he was the same boy I'd fallen in love with. Lance and Dad reached the podium and Lance was even more stunning up close. He was practically glowing. I could barely move. 

**4- (a snippet of adam's past with shiro before I'd concocted the whole lotor-tells-the-twins-that-the-angels-are-cheating thing)(theres a bit of implied domestic violence in it, so if that's triggering to you, please just swipe down to 'DONE')**

_Adam_

The whole thing was so weird, Shiro stayed with me the whole night, talking about nothing, always keeping me in his line of sight. It left a weird feeling in my stomach that made my appetite disappear, no matter how many times Shiro offered to get me food. He was older now. Stronger, taller, surer of himself. His movements were smooth and confident as he glided around me, giving me flowery drinks and finger food from trays that were passed along by waiters.

He asked me about myself, listened to me, even when I had nothing interesting to say. And when I thought he'd exhausted every subject of conversation, he'd start all over with something completely new, telling me about mortals he'd met at the Gates, asking me if I knew how to dance, telling me that I looked older now, complimenting me on totally benign things like my wrists or my cologne. I was often lost for words.

It was so weird being around him again after so long. I truly thought that I'd loved him. When Shiro got mad, it seemed like the whole world was mad at you too. His anger was all-consuming and difficult to understand. When we'd lived together for that one, beautiful year of happiness, he rarely got mad. It was only towards the end of things when everything fell apart.

We were happy on the surface, but I could tell that he was becoming more and more distant. And since I didn't know why, I assumed that he was seeing someone else. I mean, I didn't think of myself as all that interesting, even when Shiro made me feel that way, but I thought that I was enough for him. So when he came home late one night, vibrantly tired and dismissive, I confronted him.

"Shiro, what's going on?" I'd started. I was sitting at the kitchen table, fidgetting with an empty coffee cup. It was long past the time I usually went to bed, but Shiro showed no concern like he used to.

"What do you mean?" he asked, pacing. He was out of breath.

"Where were you?"

"Out," he snorted like it was obvious.

"Where?" I asked again, frowning at him.

"Why do you care?" He'd asked incredulously.

I scoffed. "Because I'm your boyfriend?"

Shiro looked at me critically, "So?"

I pushed off from the table, standing abruptly. "Are you cheating on me?" I blurted.

Shiro had frozen, glaring at me. "What?" his voice was dangerously low.

"You're distant! You come home late!" I turned away, cheeks flushed with anger, "You..."

Shiro came storming towards me, and it was only when his arm was raised back over his shoulder, muscles tense, when I realized that he was going to hit me. He'd paused, eyes full of darkness.

I'd laughed humourlessly, sadness consuming me. "Go on, tough guy. Go on. Hit me."

Shiro had seethed and cursed and spat, but he didn't.

I'd sneered, something that I never did. "I deserve better than this," I said, walking to the bedroom, flipping Shiro off over my shoulder.

"Maybe I am seeing someone!" Shiro had yelled, and I'd turned, tears threatening to spill over my eyes. I made myself blink them back. Of course, he was.

"And maybe he's a piece of shit who doesn't even care about me, but he gets mad when I get pissed, he doesn't just stay okay like a happy-go-lucky ray of fucking sunshine, Adam! You don't have emotion! You just..." Shiro groaned, raking his hands through his hair. "You can't handle conflict! Just yell at me! Be pissed! Feel something, you piece of shit!" Shiro roars. He swipes the coffee cup off the table, and before I know what's happening, it's shattering on the wall next to me.

My instincts took over. Hands shaking, I crouched, picking up the shattered porcelain. Shiro just stood there, breathing heavy. I walked to the kitchen and deposited the shards in the trash before walking out of the apartment without a word.

**DONE!**

Alright! Now for some inspo and BTS action.

So, as some of you may know, I live in New Hampshire. I used this as a starting point for Keith and Lance because I could visualize my own city as the setting. The coffee shop that Lance and Keith made The Plan in is the same place I'm applying for a job to in the spring aaaaaandddd you remember that field? with the barn?

That's my neighborhood.

 

That little barn is actually pretty cool and the field fills up with buttercups and dandelions (dandylions ;))) ) in the summertime.

If you're ever in NH, dm me! I'll probably either be at our bookstore or Panera lmao.

Uhhhh anyways- from NH, we went across the country to Washington. Why? Bc of Allura's Arboretum and Floristry dUHHH. The main reason why I wanted to do this was that I wanted to give a little easter egg to those of you who have already read Beat Drop and hooooly shit your reactions were so fucking heartwarming. I love u uwu

From there, we went to Cali bc I've always wanted to go there aND they have a lot of concerts and, incidentally, the Lancaster Poppy Festival. It was totally random chance that the festival is held at the same time that the story was taking place (spring) so it was easy to fit it right in.

Also, I love Gorrilaz and it's a pretty.... keith-y band in my opinion.

Samoa was a must because of Hunk, so of course, that was a stop.

The bamboo forest was a little harder to plan. Originally, I was going to have Keith meet his mom there, but then I decided that I should just let it be and have him meet her at the ceremony. By the way, I was planning their wedding lowkey the whole time lol.

The Trials were also an asset that have been there for a while and I wrote a few scenes from that chapter beforehand when I was drafting. Originally, I was going to have  _Shiro_  be the one to kiss Lance in the envy/jealousy section bc I saw this masterpiece:

_https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlJh5ZfV4AAt0JJ.jpg:large_

buuuuut I ended up changing it later on because I knew that no matter what, Shiro was loyal to Adam. Plus, I didn't want to open up a rift between Keith and Shiro.

The wedding took a long time to plan, actually. Here are some pics of my rough drafts on planning it. Also, I am in no way shape or form an artist, so excuse my bad artistic skills lolol (also my handwriting is ass)

 

 

 

 

ahhhhhaha cringy af but worth it. A lot of research went into this book, more than usual. I guess it's because I want everything to be accurate, but since they went so many places and did so many things, I had to research a lot. I don't mind, though- I want everyone to be satisfied and I don't want to write something wrong.

finally, I want to show you my inspiration for Lux and Nox.

Whenever I wrote their characters, I imagined them as being very sophisticated and wise, so they needed a face that I could place them with when I wrote.

For Lux, it's this photo:

 

_https://image.glamourdaze.com/2016/06/3-gene-tierney.jpg_

And for Nox it was this:

_https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQcBX2i3naoPl5dAgs4V15pgzZldc85-5f45WcspCnTiLLFEYQ_

ahhhhhh what babes :)

 

alllllright guys it's getting late so I'm gonna wrap this up. I'll let you all know now that I have no idea what my next work it gonna be ahhhhHHHHH so i'm already stressing- i mean,  _thinking_  about what that's gonna be.

maybe klance?

maybe some bnha oneshots?

maybe some she-ra if i actually get around to watching that?

cal has nooooooooo idea.

alright i'm sorry this is so poorly punctuated and shitty- it's late and I've been writing all day in between study sessions for exams and eating copious amounts of food. if you want to follow me on instagram, it's @ c.millsss (shameless self promo, i know) and if you want to follow me on wattpad (where i am much more active and update once a week instead of in jumbled bunches) my username is @ monsieurdandylion. aaaand I'll be sure to post some updates there soon on how the brainstorm sesh is going.

you can probably expect to see some new material in.... i dunno a few weeks? i'll keep you updated tho, don't worry.

i had so much fun writing this book and i met so many new people and connected with so many new friends. I'm really gonna miss writing this book for y'all. oh man i'm starting to cry.

i loved every moment of this journey with you. i will always cherish this book for it's beautiful readers and wonderful memories.

i love you all<33333 thank you for reading my work and i hope you enjoyed it, and have a wonderful week/month!

 

over and out <3

**Author's Note:**

> Rollin' with the punches. And by punches, I mean unestablished plot. Love you guys.


End file.
